The White House is likely asking: Et tu, Zelensky?... after the Ukrainian leader has belatedly voiced concerns over Biden's health in the wake of his disastrous presidential debate with Trump.
While in Washington D.C. for the big NATO summit, which is heavily focused on the war in Ukraine, Axios writes that "President Volodymyr Zelensky is among the leaders who watched the presidential debate and is concerned about the situation, according to a Ukrainian source."
Zelensky, who has been given tens of billions by the Biden administration to help fight off the Russians, didn't shy away from telling a press conference in Washington, "Let's be candid and frank: Everyone is waiting for November."
"The whole world is looking to November, and truly speaking, Putin awaits November too." Zelensky is set to meet with President Biden on Thursday, even as the whole world begins preparing for a likely Trump presidency after the election.
An unnamed European diplomat voiced the same sentiment, telling Axios, "People are coming [to the NATO summit in Washington] to witness whether Biden is or is no longer [in charge]."
This as the White House continues to give mixed signals, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre having openly admitted that a "team" is actually in charge and not the elected Commander-in-Chief...
“He has a team,” is not in accordance with nuclear protocol. That’s not how it works. My jaw hit the floor when I heard her say this. https://t.co/4dsvBso9FV
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) July 9, 2024
Meanwhile, Bloomberg in a fresh report has said European countries have begun holding secretive meetings with the Trump team, in another sign that confidence in Biden is dropping fast.
"Delegations from across Europe were quietly slotting in meetings with advisers and others with links to Donald Trump as they grapple with the possibility — some say likelihood — that he will reclaim the Oval Office," Bloomberg says in its Wednesday report. "They were hoping to get a clearer sense of just what a Trump victory might mean for an alliance he regularly targets for criticism."
And more: "Many NATO and European Union nations have asked for meetings with officials who served under Trump, as well as with prominent Republican legislators seen to be close to him, according to people familiar with the planning."
The report further points to an unexpectedly ironic state of affairs concerning George Clooney suddenly coming out against Biden re-running:
Biden faced new calls on Capitol Hill Wednesday to step aside. Even actor George Clooney went public with an opinion piece Wednesday calling on him not to run. It was an irony of sorts: after a summit in Italy last month, Biden said goodbye to many of the same leaders and joined a California fundraiser hosted by Clooney instead of attending a Ukraine peace summit.
Zelensky in Washington says “let’s be candid and frank”
— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) July 10, 2024
“Everyone is waiting for November”: the Americans, the Europeans and the Russians. “The whole world is looking to November” pic.twitter.com/3HmtjqetjJ
The Ukrainians too are panicking, it could actually hasten some kind of deal-making with Moscow to wind down the war. Bloomerg's White House correspondent Jennifer Jacobs has written on X: "Kyiv wants to convene a second meeting to achieve a fair peace settlement in Ukraine before the US elections in November -- this time with Russia attending."
It would further be an ultra-ironic state of affairs if Trump was able to bring peace just by getting elected, and before he even enters office, which would be a fulfillment of his prior campaign vows to achieve peace 'within 24 hours'.
