Whether or not President Volodymyr Zelensky was ambushed or should have been more diplomatic in the Oval Office, it was a disastrous visit for Ukraine. For those watching in Kyiv, the future of their country hung in the balance.

The statements piled up on social media, offering words of encouragement to the Ukrainian leader and his people.

W HEN VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY arrived at the White House on February 28th the America-Ukrainian relationship was fragile and uncertain. By the time the Ukrainian president left, it was shattered. After a full-blown shouting match in front of the television cameras—with Donald Trump and his vice-president,