This past Friday (Feb. 28), Donald Trump, JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gathered at the White House for a diplomatic and productive meeting regarding the Russia-Ukraine War. Unfortunately, it soon turned contentious (more on that below), and in the aftermath, musicians such as Jack White and Behemoth’s Nergal have shown support for Zelensky and Ukraine.
White, Nergal and Others’ Responses
On Friday, White took to Instagram to share his thoughts on what happened. “Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a very courageous man who deserves the support of the world,” he began, adding:
He has taken on the struggle of his people and his country with valor and honor. A long time from now when history has gotten far past all of these other false leaders and evil opportunists, he will be remembered as a hero and a defender of his people’s freedom in the face of immense opposition. May God bless his path forward and his eventual victory against tyranny.
Among the supportive responses was one from rocker Cat Power, who simply replied: “THIS.”
The same day, the Behemoth guitarist/vocalist also posted to Instagram, proclaiming: “The Trump-Zelenski conference just ended, and I’m in shock.”
He continued:
Trump and J.D. Vance behaved like two classless, uncivilized brutes —talking over Zelenski, cutting him off, and treating him like a common supplicant. Arrogant, condescending, and completely devoid of basic diplomacy.
Such reckless, ego-driven incompetence from a man who fancies himself a global leader is rare. This wasn’t a negotiation—it was a pathetic display of aggression and ignorance.
Ukraine, you are NOT alone.
Slava Ukraini.
Yesterday (March 1), Nergal doubled down on his sentiments, sharing an doctored photo of Vladimir Putin walking Trump like a dog as he explained:
A simple meme often says more than an entire essay. Yesterday, I made a post – no sugarcoating, no appeasement. Just me, standing by my words with an unapologetic attitude—whether you like it or not.
To those who showed support and understanding—thank you. To those who may strongly disagree with me yet still appreciate the music—thank you even more. We don’t have to see eye to eye on everything, and that’s fine.
That said, I noticed a significant drop in followers yesterday—around a thousand people vanished. GREAT! Keep walking. If my words shake your moral compass or make you uncomfortable, I insist—unfollow faster.
The world is full of idiots, and clearly, my follower list was no exception.
No sympathy for fools.
Legendary rockers U2 offered a less detailed and direct response to the meeting on social media yesterday, as they wrote: “Freedom is a feeling. A feeling that I have around you. Freedom is a feeling that I never knew. Slava Ukraini.”
Alongside the post, the band shared an altered version of frontman Bono’s 2023 drawing of Zelensky (which graced the cover of The Atlantic’s June 2023 issue).
Naturally, those posts received plenty of support from followers, fans and the like (as well as a fair amount of pushback and opposing perspectives). Unsurprisingly, countless more people (including various celebrities) have shared a variety of views on the situation as well.
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More Details on the Meeting
Per CNN (on Feb. 28), a “remarkable shouting match” erupted after the meeting between Trump, Vance, and Zelensky began, with Trump “berat[ing] his Ukrainian counterpart.” CNN elaborated: “Never before has an American president verbally attacked his visitor like Trump did Zelensky, leading to an almost real-time breakdown in relations between Washington and [Ukraine capital city] Kyiv. Trump at one point threatened to give up on Ukraine entirely.”
The continued:
Castigating Zelensky for not demonstrating enough gratitude for American support, Trump and Vice President JD Vance raised their voices, accusing the besieged leader of standing in the way of a peace agreement with Russia. Later, he was essentially kicked out of the White House and departed with a grim look on his face.
At one point, CNN confirmed, Trump told Zelensky: “You’re right now, not really in a very good position. You’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position. You don’t have the card right now. With us, you start having cards.”
In response, Zelensky said: “I’m not playing cards.”
As reported by The New York Times on Friday, Trump and Vance “castigated Mr. Zelensky for not being grateful enough for U.S. support in Ukraine’s war with Russia, and sought to strong-arm him into making a peace deal on whatever terms the Americans dictated.”
The NYT also reported that Trump “threatened to abandon Ukraine altogether if Mr. Zelensky did not go along.”
On Friday, Trump tweeted the following:
We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure. It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has been retweeting supportive posts from numerous people (and saying thanks in the process). On March 1, he tweeted: “Our relationship with the American President is more than just two leaders; it’s a historic and solid bond between our peoples. That’s why I always begin with words of gratitude from our nation to the American nation.”
You can see a clip of the meeting below (via CNN):
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