Biden Also Showed Frustration with Zelensky During 2022 Call

Synopsis

In June 2022, President Joe Biden expressed anger towards Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during a phone call about military assistance. The call revealed tensions similar to those seen in President Trump's recent interactions, highlighting the ongoing struggles in US-Ukraine relations.

Key Takeaways

Frustration expressed by Biden during a June 2022 call.
Biden informed Zelensky of a $1 billion aid package.
Zelensky’s additional requests triggered Biden's anger.
Trump and Zelensky also experienced tensions in their interactions.
Zelensky later expressed gratitude for Biden's support.

Washington, March 1 (NationPress) President Donald Trump is not the only US leader who has exhibited frustration towards Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. This was evident during a tense phone call in June 2022, just a few months after the onset of the Russian invasion in February.

During this call, President Joe Biden expressed his anger to President Zelensky after informing him that he had just approved $1 billion in military assistance for Ukraine. However, before Biden could finish, Zelensky began listing additional requests for support.

Biden, visibly upset, told Zelensky, as reported by NBC, that the American people were being quite generous, and that his administration, along with the US military, was making significant efforts to assist Ukraine.

Furthermore, he raised his voice, suggesting that Zelensky could exhibit a bit more gratitude.

Interestingly, President Trump conveyed a similar message to Zelensky in a recent conversation.

The similarities don’t end there.

Throughout 2022, there had been mounting tensions between both Trump and Zelensky, as well as Biden and Zelensky. President Biden and his senior advisors felt that they were doing everything possible and as promptly as they could, while Zelensky publicly emphasized the support he had yet to receive. This tension was evident during the call, although it did not escalate to the heated exchange that occurred recently.

In the weeks leading up to Trump’s call, he had accused Zelensky of being a “dictator” for maintaining power without calling for elections, while Zelensky accused Trump of existing within a “disinformation space”. Trump later attempted to downplay the situation, claiming he could not recall the details when questioned in a press conference prior to meeting Zelensky.

One key distinction between the two confrontations stands out.

After the June 2022 call, Zelensky expressed regret, stating, “I had an important conversation with US President Biden today”. He added, “I am grateful for this support. It is especially important for our defense in Donbas.”

However, following the recent Oval Office confrontation, when asked about it by a Fox News host, Zelensky claimed he had done nothing “bad”, although he acknowledged that the exchange “was not good.”