Trump-Zelensky Debate Proves the Wisdom of His Majesty King Abdullah II

The media and social media were abuzz with reports of the heated exchange between U.S. President Donald Trump and his guest at the White House, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, regarding the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Although I am not concerned with the event itself, nor with its exaggerated portrayal by the media, what matters to me is the tendency of some to draw comparisons between the encounter of Ukrainian President Zelensky with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, and the meeting of His Majesty King Abdullah II with President Trump at the White House in mid-February. It is essential to recognize that there is no valid basis for comparison between the two situations, either in terms of form or substance. I had previously published an article about His Majesty's meeting, which appeared in Al-Rai newspaper, where I expressed my disapproval of those who sought to manipulate the situation and criticized His Majesty's position without any supporting evidence.

Returning to the matter at hand, I believe that the incident involving the Ukrainian president, contrary to ill-intentioned interpretations, once again highlights His Majesty’s wisdom, his diplomatic conduct as a guest, and his careful consideration of the significance of the message he sought to convey during his visit to the White House on that day.

Therefore, I would like to remind once again of the following facts:
When His Majesty the King was unexpectedly surprised with the presence of the press during his meeting with the U.S. President (a development that had not been prearranged), he listened calmly and thoughtfully to President Trump's responses to the journalists. These responses included issues that were in direct contradiction to the King's positions on the primary objective of the visit. This objective was to reaffirm His Majesty's firm rejection of the displacement of the people of Gaza from their ancestral homeland to any other location, particularly to Egypt or Jordan, as President Trump had suggested at the time. This rejection stemmed not only from the potential impact on Jordan’s strategic and security interests but also from the fact that forced displacement is fundamentally unacceptable under international law and violates established global norms and standards.

This royal position of Jordan was already well-established, as His Majesty the King had publicly declared it prior to the visit. It was also articulated by both official and public Jordanian circles—a clear rejection of any displacement from Gaza, the West Bank, or any other location.

It is customary for a press briefing to be held after official discussions at this level, following the formal meeting, to inform the media about the agreements reached. However, the aforementioned press meeting took place before the official meeting. Consequently, His Majesty deemed it inappropriate to address the press regarding matters he intended to present to President Trump during the official meeting. His Majesty also considered it inappropriate to prematurely disclose the Arab position being under discussion, particularly with regard to the issue of displacement.

Nevertheless, His Majesty provided a brief response to the question regarding the humanitarian initiative of facilitating the reception of 2,000 children in need of medical treatment in Jordan, with the intention of returning them to their homeland afterward. Over the past decades, Jordan has consistently received the wounded and sick from Gaza, providing treatment before returning them to their home country. His Majesty also clarified that ongoing Arab discussions are taking place to develop appropriate solutions for the reconstruction of Gaza Strip, stabilizing its residents, and restoring their normal lives.

All of this underscores that there is no basis for comparison between the situation with the Ukrainian guest and His Majesty King Abdullah. The evidence of this lies in the fact that, upon learning of the malicious interpretations surrounding his meeting with the Jordanian King, the U.S. President recorded a televised message specifically addressed to the Jordanian people, commending His Majesty’s wisdom, leadership, and outstanding diplomacy, and describing him as one of the greatest leaders he has ever worked with.

Meanwhile, the heated debate continues between the American and Ukrainian sides following the interview. For these reasons, I felt it necessary to revisit this topic, which reaffirms that His Majesty the King, with his distinguished Hashemite character, political acumen, and diplomatic skill—qualities he inherited from his late father, the beloved King Hussein, may God rest his soul—acted in accordance with that wisdom, the principles of proper conduct, and the national interest.

Talal Abu -Ghazaleh