An expected blow-up

Not seeing eye to eye: The surprise spat between Trump and Zelensky when they met at the White House recently has rocked the world. — AFP

ONLY a fortnight after Valentine’s Day, rancour over the Ukraine War poured forth for a world audience live from the White House Diplomatic Reception Room where visiting foreign leaders ritually shake hands with the US President.

Shock from the barbed exchanges came less from the disagreements than from their being so spontaneous and unrestrained. The fireplace scene is the PR set-piece for tougher discussions behind closed doors, yet the scene was bruising enough to suggest possibly more injurious private talks.