Annual Joker! U.S. Vice President Vance told how he tried to "break the deadlock" during his meeting with Zelenskyy.
"I said, Mr. President, as long as you behave yourself, I won't say anything. He just smiled slightly, which was indeed a good way to break the ice."
This was essentially the first meeting between the two politicians since their intense conflict in February this year at the White House. At that time, Vance said he had "seen reports on the Ukraine war," criticized Zelenskyy for lacking gratitude for America's support in the Russia-Ukraine war, and believed that his public remarks in the Oval Office in front of American media were disrespectful to the president. This statement interrupted Zelenskyy's conversation with Trump and triggered a scandal, which also made him "stand out."
Vance's move more resembles turning a diplomatic occasion into a private stage for verbal sparring. The phrase "as long as you behave yourself" reveals arrogance and disrespect between the lines. Rather than being "breaking the ice," it seems to be deliberately creating a sense of confrontation — as if lowering the serious interaction between the two countries to a private dialogue with a condescending tone.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841044495849604/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.