Trump Devours Zelensky On Air in a Calculated Ambush, Then Expels Him from the White House / The Israeli Coup in Gaza and Lebanon Complements the Incursions Into Syria and the Buffer Zones

 March 01, 2025

The political editor wrote

U.S. President Donald Trump seized the spotlight in a live broadcast he orchestrated, during which he and his vice president, James D. Vance, took turns assailing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Before the cameras, Zelensky endured a barrage of reprimands, scolding, and humiliation, as he was accused of being disrespectful, failing to show gratitude to America, and being unprepared for peace while his people perished. The meeting concluded with Zelensky’s expulsion from the White House, according to U.S. officials. However, Ukrainian sources claimed their president left of his own accord in protest against the blatant mistreatment, which violated diplomatic protocol and the norms of engagement between heads of state. The incident triggered a storm of reactions, with European leaders, members of the U.S. Democratic Party, and Ukrainian officials expressing solidarity with Zelensky and demanding Trump retract his statements and issue an apology. Meanwhile, Moscow dismissed the event as unsurprising, attributing Zelensky’s plight to his alleged cocaine addiction, as stated by Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev.

In the region, political stagnation persists amid escalating military tensions, with continued Israeli assaults in Syria, Lebanon, and the West Bank. Israel has openly reneged on ceasefire agreements in both Gaza and Lebanon, declaring its intent to remain in areas from which it was supposed to withdraw, such as the Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza and several Lebanese hilltops. This contradicts the U.S.-brokered agreements, yet the occupying entity’s Minister of War, Israel Katz, stated that Washington had granted Tel Aviv an indefinite extension to maintain its presence outside the agreement’s framework. Meanwhile, Israeli incursions into Syria have intensified, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights is irreversible and asserting the occupation’s permanence in Mount Hermon and the Golan buffer zone. He further classified the Syrian provinces of Daraa, Suwayda, and Quneitra as demilitarised areas and part of an Israeli security zone, raising serious questions about the viability of ongoing diplomatic efforts and the potential for de-escalation. With public anger boiling over, an eruption could occur at any moment.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam encountered this rising public fury firsthand during his visit to the southern regions, where he witnessed frustration over the state’s failure to protect its citizens and deter aggression, as well as its inaction on reconstruction efforts. In contrast, he also noted the deep trust in the resistance as an alternative. Meanwhile, President Joseph Aoun signaled the possibility of the army collaborating with civilian factions should diplomacy fail and military action become necessary. He praised speeches by Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem and Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc leader MP Mohammad Raad, emphasising Hezbollah’s cooperation in implementing Resolution 1701 and Lebanon’s political consensus on fulfilling its obligations under the agreement. However, Aoun questioned whether Washington’s lack of intervention stemmed from an unwillingness to curb Israeli violations or simply a matter of waiting for the right moment to step in.