After the infamous Oval Office debacle last Friday, some political pundits on both sides of the aisle and the Atlantic excoriated Donald Trump for dressing down Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over his rudeness and attempt to suddenly seek a change to a mineral rights deal for Ukraine’s security. Others cheered Trump for his blunt and direct assessment of the state of the war and his refusal to be dictated to by Zelensky. Almost immediately, the question everyone had was: What now?

Trump made clear his goal has been to end the war and the bloodshed — and sooner rather than later. It’s hard to object to this goal, though because the aggressor is the despot Vladimir Putin and Russia, people do object.

The trouble is that Europe and the Biden administration only saw fit to support Zelensky and Ukraine against Russia’s invasion without discussing any real end game. This effectively boiled down to a policy of continuously giving Ukraine more and more military support, primarily because the country is standing and fighting longer than anyone had thought possible.

Is it any wonder that Zelensky believed he could simply continue to call on the U.S. and Europe for support and aid, and they’d continue to deliver, all the while praising him like a Churchillian figure?

It would appear that Zelensky believed Trump would act similarly if only pushed to do so. Boy, was he proven wrong. Interestingly, there have been reports that Democrat lawmakers got in Zelensky’s ear just prior to the Oval Office meeting and encouraged him to challenge Trump.

Unsurprisingly, Democrats were seemingly at the ready to blast Trump for the debacle.

“Trump and Vance are doing Putin’s dirty work,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer lamented. “Senate Democrats will never stop fighting for freedom and democracy.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries asserted, “Today’s White House meeting with the President of Ukraine was appalling and will only serve to further embolden Vladimir Putin, a brutal dictator. The United States must not reward Russian aggression and continue to appease Putin.”

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy blasted, “It was a planned ambush designed to embarrass President Zelenskyy in order to benefit Vladimir Putin. That was an embarrassment. That was an abomination. What you watched was American power being destroyed in the world as everybody watches President Trump become a lapdog for a brutal dictator in Moscow.”

Europe’s leaders were no better. Following the blowup, Zelensky headed off to the United Kingdom, where he received a hug from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who pledged to have Ukraine’s back, even going so far as to put “boots on the ground” — with the telling caveat that doing so will need U.S. support.

This was followed by European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announcing an $840 billion “ReArm” plan. “The question is no longer whether Europe’s security is threatened in a very real way,” von der Leyen said. “Or whether Europe should shoulder more of the responsibility for its own security. In truth, we have long known the answers to those questions.” Indeed. Is this not what Trump has long been pushing European nations to do: spend more money building their own defense rather than relying on the U.S. for security?

Yet despite all the naysaying and running to the fainting couch, it is amazing what a little bit of pressure applied properly will do.

The White House announced that it was temporarily pausing aid to Ukraine. Like magic, Zelensky then called for a return to the mineral deal.

“My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” Zelensky said on social media. “We are ready to work fast to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky — ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same. Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.”

This is quite a change from the day before, when Zelensky suggested that a peace deal was far off.

Gone was Zelensky’s entitled defiance, replaced with an acknowledgment and appreciation for how much the U.S. has done for Ukraine. “We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence. And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this,” he continued. “Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time and in any convenient format.”

While it took a few days, Zelensky has gotten the message. After all the moaning and groaning over Trump’s lack of diplomatic decorum, it looks like a deal leading to a real possibility of peace will soon be reached.