Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s powwow with Sir Keir Starmer in London the day after his Washington DC debacle — and meeting King Charles III (whose blue blood apparently has traction with Trump) — all indicate he has belatedly realised the fallout of his off-script spat. The hurriedly convened meet of European leaders in London on Sunday underscores Zelenskyy’s mistake: they did not expect him to do what he did and are now scrambling for damage control.

Indeed, Zelenskyy actually said on Fox News later in the day what he should have mentioned first thing in the Oval Office on Friday morning: “Thank you." Every serious world leader goes to the White House now with a succinct brief: stoke Trump’s ego and get what you want out of him. Emmanuel Macron did that. Starmer did that. Even Narendra Modi did precisely that. But for some bizarre reason Zelenskyy did just the opposite. And then all hell broke loose.

Was Zelenskyy wrongly briefed? Was he not briefed at all on how to get what he wanted from Trump? Or did he disregard advice and decide to wing it? After that disastrous off-script blowout in the Oval Office, his delegation must have told him that he would now have to walk it back. Hence the belated thank yous to one and all on Trump’s favourite channel, a long post on X which struck a very different tone than in the White House—and the London meeting.

Contrary to what the US media said,

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