Spin Cycle: Believing In Binary Is Cool Again, But Only If You’re Talking About Ukraine

For those who don’t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week’s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.

Much of Sunday’s spin centered on Ukraine, Russia, and the ongoing war between them — as well as the recent Oval Office meeting that devolved into a shouting match between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

During that meeting, it became clear that Trump’s primary goal was a peace agreement — and that he was prepared to push both sides to make concessions, if necessary, to get there. Zelensky balked, however, and said that Russia could not be allowed a win.

According to Democrats and media — along with a handful of anti-Trump Republicans — there is only one acceptable outcome: Ukraine must win, apparently at any cost, to deny Russian President Vladimir Putin any measure of “success.” By that logic, they argue that any negotiation that involves even a single concession on the part of Ukraine is effectively swearing allegiance to Putin.

On ABC News’ “This Week,” British Ambassador to the U.S. Lord Peter Mandelson spoke with anchor George Stephanopoulos about the situation in Ukraine — and he argued that the best way to force Putin to negotiate was through strength.

“We have to create the circumstances in which enough pressure is brought on Putin… to force them to the negotiating table,” he said.

British Ambassador to the U.S. Lord Peter Mandelson tells George Stephanopoulos the U.K. remains committed to Ukraine and urges negotiations: “We have to create the circumstances in which enough pressure is brought on Putin… to force them to the negotiating table.” pic.twitter.com/OvqCkG2BfS

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 2, 2025

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) took a similar tack, saying that if the United States were to engage Russia in negotiations, concessions could not be a part of that conversation.

“We go into negotiations with strength, not surrender,” she said.

Senator Amy Klobuchar tells George Stephanopoulos the U.S. should stand with allies, not adversaries.
"We go into negotiations with strength, not surrender." pic.twitter.com/Qn5UOaUbOH

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 2, 2025

Former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile took it a step further, arguing that Trump’s willingness to negotiate with both parties amounted to him allying himself with Putin.

“We do not wish, in the middle of war, to change sides, to side with a dictator,” she said.

.@donnabrazile warns against the U.S. shifting its stance on Ukraine, emphasizing the need to stand by allies and confront Putin. "We do not wish, in the middle of war, to change sides, to side with a dictator."https://t.co/s5XgPCE3k0 pic.twitter.com/kvGeqVzz6y

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 2, 2025

“We need a ceasefire. How are you going to negotiate when Russia is still trying to bomb the hell out of Ukraine?” Brazile continued.

"We need a ceasefire. How are you going to negotiate when Russia is still trying to bomb the hell out of Ukraine?" @donnabrazilecalls for a ceasefire and urges the U.S. to stay aligned with its allies.https://t.co/s5XgPCE3k0 pic.twitter.com/OUYRQzJyEd

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 2, 2025

Former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) went the same direction as Brazile, claiming that after that meeting, “[Trump] looks and sounds like an ally of Putin.”

.@GovChristie claims President Trump’s rhetoric makes him look like an ally of Russia. "He looks and sounds like an ally of Putin.”https://t.co/s5XgPCE3k0 pic.twitter.com/9Lhf8KiwkB

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 2, 2025

On CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” the tone was much the same. Host Margaret Brennan brought in a diplomat from the European Union, Kaja Kallas, who said she feared the possibility that Russia would ultimately not face consequences for the invasion of Ukraine — and that “all the countries who are afraid of their neighbors will want to go for nuclear weapons, because this is the only thing that protects them. It’s not the international law anymore.”

The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas told @margbrennan on Thursday that if Russia were to take over a sovereign nation without consequence, she fears "all the countries who are afraid of their neighbors will want to go for nuclear weapons, because this is the only thing… pic.twitter.com/WnCMCvxT6k

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 2, 2025

Brennan also spoke with Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who took a moment to swipe at Vance for comments he made during the confrontation with Zelensky. Vance had suggested that visiting world leaders were given a “propaganda tour” of Ukraine — one designed to garner sympathy and, ultimately, financial and military aid — and Kelly objected to that characterization.

“The vice president, with all due respect, it sounds like he’s watching videos on the internet,” Kelly complained.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who has made several visits to Ukraine during the war, rejects Vice President JD Vance's characterization of such visits as "propaganda tours."

"The vice president, with all due respect, it sounds like he's watching videos on the internet." pic.twitter.com/lrDrPW3AmR

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 2, 2025

CNN anchor Dana Bash brought in Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) to discuss the situation, and he sounded no different than the others. “The White House has become an arm of the Kremlin,” he claimed.

Murphy also argued that the White House had effectively ambushed Zelensky in “an attempt to rewrite history in order to sign a deal with Putin that hands Putin Ukraine.”

“The White House has become an arm of the Kremlin.”

Democratic Senator @ChrisMurphyCT blasts Trump’s meeting with Zelensky, calling it “an attempt to rewrite history in order to sign a deal with Putin that hands Putin Ukraine.” pic.twitter.com/LJ2fdltf9y

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) March 2, 2025

Murphy then pivoted to attack Secretary of State Marco Rubio, arguing that he should have challenged Trump rather than defending him.

“I think a lot of us thought that Marco Rubio was going to stand up to Donald Trump on an issue like this … Marco Rubio has not, and that’s been a great disappointment to many of his former colleagues in the Senate,” Murphy said.

Democratic Senator @ChrisMurphyCT tells @DanaBashCNN “it was a mistake” to vote to confirm Marco Rubio as Secretary of State: “I think a lot of us thought that Marco Rubio was going to stand up to Donald Trump on an issue like this… Marco Rubio has not, and that's been a great… pic.twitter.com/OaCsUdb1gA

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) March 2, 2025

On NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Kristen Welker pressed several guests on the same topic. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said that in his mind, all the Oval Office meeting had proved was that Zelensky was not ready for peace.

“President Trump is trying to get these two parties to a point of peace … What President Zelensky did in the White House was effectively signal to us that he’s not ready for that yet, and I think that’s a great disappointment,” he said.

He also signaled agreement with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who said after the meeting it was clear that Zelensky should step aside if he was unwilling to negotiate.

“I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelenskyy again. [He] either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change,” Graham said.

Speaker Johnson says ‘someone else needs to lead’ Ukraine if Zelenskyy doesn’t ‘come to his senses’ https://t.co/4adQimiG7o

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 2, 2025

Senator James Lankford (R-OK) suggested that Trump was attempting to thread a difficult needle, but all in the name of reaching a peace deal.

“No, we’re not turning our back on Ukraine, nor should we. Putin is a murderous KGB thug that murders his political enemies and is a dictator,” Lankford said. But he also defended Trump’s efforts to bring both side to the negotiating table.

“We need to get these two folks at the table, get to some kind of resolution, to something that may look like North and South Korea for a long time and have a line where people are looking at each other but not an active war,” he explained.