Trump Holds Controversial Summit with European, Russian Leaders in Washington

At a recent White House summit on the Ukraine war, President Donald Trump drew significant criticism for his conduct and staging choices. Trump broke off from a meeting with European leaders to have a private phone call with Vladimir Putin, raising questions about his diplomatic approach. Photos from the event showed Trump seated behind the Resolute Desk while European leaders sat opposite him, a setup widely criticized on social media as an embarrassing display that likened the leaders to unruly schoolchildren. Additionally, Trump’s behavior, including failing to recognize Finnish President Alexander Stubb and openly commenting about Putin on a live microphone, added to the awkwardness of the summit. Trump further drew backlash by showing off a collection of hats emblazoned with slogans such as 'TRUMP 2028' to French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which many viewed as childish and inappropriate. These incidents have sparked widespread condemnation, highlighting tensions in Trump's interactions with international leaders during a critical global event.