Three days after an abrupt ending to his televised White House meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country is ready for peace in its war with Russia and eager to sign a mineral rights agreement with the United States.
Friday’s explosive meeting drew support and angst for President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy alike. Video from the event has gone viral with leaders in China and Taiwan no doubt watching with keen interest.
The U.S. and most countries around the world do not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state. Instead, the U.S. operates under a “One China” policy where it recognizes Beijing as the government of China and maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan.
But the U.S. does provide military assistance to Taiwan to help defend itself against potential aggression from China – much like the aggression Ukraine is fighting against Russia.
“Obviously the Ukraine has problems with corruption and is imperfect, but if I’m the Taiwanese, I see a smaller country that’s reasonably democratic being invaded by a neighbor – and I see the U.S. maybe not wanting to back that country to the same extent,” Dr. A.J. Nolte, director for the Institute of Israel Studies at Regent University, said on Washington Watch Monday.
Trump has held his cards close with public comments regarding his strategy for a U.S.-Taiwan relationship. Asked last spring if a Trump administration would defend Taiwan in an attack from China, he told Time Magazine, “I wouldn’t want to give away any negotiating abilities by giving information like that to any reporter.”
Last June, Trump told Bloomberg Businessweek that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for its defense, especially given Taiwan’s advances in the tech industry.
There are striking similarities in that approach and a mineral rights deal with Ukraine.
"America First" policy doesn’t have to mean "America Only," but another nation’s security doesn’t have to be provided for free, Trump believes. Understandably, the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting could impact how China and Taiwan view their own relationship.
“Will the U.S. take the same approach toward Taiwan if China starts to push and China starts to get aggressive?” Nolte asked.
Nervousness, likely, in Taiwan
Friday's Oval Office meeting was not good news for Taiwan, Nolte told show host Tony Perkins.
“I do think this has negative implications for our ability to deter China, which is our goal: to deter China from attacking Taiwan. [The meeting] might make the Chinese think we’re irresolute and make Taiwan think that maybe we won’t defend them as much as we should. I can see how that would put them on edge.”
Weekend reactions from Zelenskyy and Great Britian looked possibly like a cooling off period, Nolte added.
“Hopefully, the parties – President Trump and President Zelenskyy – will get back together and work toward a peace between Ukraine and Russia.”
