Just over one month ago, President Trump hosted a televised 49-minute meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodimir Zelensky in the Oval Office.

According to the mainstream media, the entire affair was a soup sandwich… with Trump and Vice President Vance behaving in ways unbecoming to their offices.

I’ve gone through the trouble of summarizing the encounter below. Was it rambling at times? Sure. Were there some offbeat moments? Yes.

As well, there were some alarming moments — including when President Zelensky claimed 20,000 Ukrainian children had been abducted by Russia.

True or false?

According to the Humanitarian Research Lab of Yale Medical School (March 17, 2025), more than 19,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted since “Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”

(There’s also a 2023 figure alleging 700,000 abducted Ukrainian children.)

Radio Free Europe notes: “On March 17 [of 2023], the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lvova-Belova. They were charged with being responsible for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia — a war crime under international legislation.”

If children have been abducted by Russian forces, yes, Putin and his henchmen should be charged with international war crimes. There’s nothing more despicable.

As a matter of fact: War is hell. A universal truth that seems to be lost on Ukraine’s president…

Your Rundown for Monday, March 31, 2025...

Team Trump Champions Diplomacy… Zelensky Declines

Back to the Oval Office confrontation: After Zelensky urged the U.S. to supply Ukraine with better air-defense capabilities — akin to Israel’s “Iron Dome”...

…. and after Trump beat the drum for access to Ukraine’s mineral deposits…

… and after a journalist accused Zelensky of disrespecting the White House because he didn’t wear a suit and tie…

What follows, using direct quotes, is the crux of the near 50-minute conversation:

Zelensky began by emphasizing the stakes for his nation: “It’s very important to save our country, our values, our freedom and democracy.”

This plea set the tone for the discussion, but Trump responded with a broader perspective, including the human cost of war: “Think of the parents, whether they’re in Russia or Ukraine, think of the parents of all these people being killed needlessly.”

The conversation quickly turned contentious as Zelensky pointed out that Russia initiated the conflict: “[The] president speaks about the people and the soldiers which are dying, but [Putin] came to our territory. They came to our land, they began this war and they have to stop.”

Trump countered: “I’m not aligned with Putin… I’m aligned with the United States of America, and for the good of the world… I want to get this thing over with.”

Vice President Vance then entered the fray, advocating a solution: “The path to peace and the path to prosperity is [engaging] in diplomacy… That’s what President Trump is doing.”

Zelensky challenged this notion by recounting his experience with broken agreements: “Like a new president in 2019, I signed with [Putin] the deal… after that, he broke this ceasefire…

“What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about?”

Vance fired back: “I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country!” 

Then Vance rebuked Zelensky… 

And do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?

Zelensky replied with a warning (or a threat): “During the war, everybody has problems. Even you, but you have [a] nice ocean and don’t feel [the effects of war] now. But you will feel it in the future. God bless you will not have a war.”

After a beat, Trump shifted focus to Zelensky’s strategy: “You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now. With [the U.S.] you start having cards.”

Trump escalated his critique: “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people… You’re gambling with World War III… The problem is, I’ve empowered you to be a tough guy, and I don’t think you’d be a tough guy without the United States.”

Aside from the Jerry Springer-esque talking over one another, and the back-and-forth about Zelensky’s inappropriate expression of gratitude, it was a mic-drop moment.

Trump nailed the “tough guy” to the wall — the comedian who’s been posturing in military-inspired costumes on a world stage for more than three years now.

On Wednesday, I’ll litigate my case: Zelensky is not a hero.

He’s not pro-democracy. He’s not pro-peace.

And Zelensky’s enriched himself to a status which your average Ukrainian could never dream.

Market Rundown for Monday, March 31, 2025

S&P 500 futures are down 1% to 5,565.

Oil is up 0.40% to $69.40 for a barrel of WTI.

Gold is up 1.15% to $3,150 per ounce.

And Bitcoin? The flagship crypto is down 0.50% to $82,150.