Yesterday, the world tuned in to a tense scene in Washington. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, hoping to lock in America’s support against Russia’s war machine and maybe strike a deal on Ukraine’s mineral wealth. Instead, we got a shouting match—Trump and his VP JD Vance scolding Zelensky for not being “thankful enough,” pushing him to cut a deal with Putin or lose U.S. backing. Zelensky walked out early, empty-handed, leaving the air heavy with bruised egos. For us in Sierra Leone, far from Ukraine’s frontlines or America’s power games, it was a messy but telling moment—one that says plenty about where the world’s heading and what it means for Africa.
Trump’s style is not news to anyone. He’s been loud for years about how America carries too much of the West’s load, berating Europe for not stepping up in NATO while the U.S. picks up the tab. Some call it free-riding—others get the benefits, but America pays the price. Many have suggested he is pulling the U.S. back from being the world’s only superpower. Not because it is weak—America is still the biggest player—but because Trump sees the role as costly and thankless. Yesterday’s clash with Zelensky was him doubling down. “Make a deal with Russia, or we’re out,” he barked, treating Ukraine’s fight like a market stall negotiation—show me gratitude, give me something tangible, or I’m done.
From an African lens, this is all too familiar. We have seen big men flex their muscle, demand loyalty, then turn sour when the clapping is not loud enough. Trump’s brash, transactional vibe is like a chief who wants to be praised for his largess but scorns anyone who leans on it. He humiliated Zelensky on the global stage, accusing him of “gambling with World War III” and kicking him out like an ungrateful guest. It is not just what he said—it’s how he said it. That scorn leaves a bitter taste, eroding goodwill faster than any deal could build it.
What does this mean for Africa in general and Sierra Leone in particular? Trump’s antics are already shaking things up. Britain’s PM Keir Starmer just cut aid to boost security spending—a move Trump would cheer. But here’s the catch: slashing aid to look tough does not make the world safer. Inequality and injustice—things we know too well in Sierra Leone—feed unrest. Trump might score a win pushing Europe to pay up, but it is a hollow one if it leaves places like ours more fragile. China is already stepping in where America steps back. Most of Africa already side-eyes the U.S., and this public dressing-down of a smaller nation’s leader only deepens that distrust.
Is there another way to read Trump’s game? Maybe. He’s forcing a rethink—making the West face who’s footing the bill for its stability. He’s all about the transaction, knowing the price of everything but blind to its value. He might get his deals, maybe even a pause in Ukraine’s war, but at what cost? You cannot play the big man and shrink the role at the same time. America is still powerful, but Trump is speeding up its slide from superpower grace. The neighborhood’s starting to whisper that the chief has lost his way.
For us in Sierra Leone, watching this is painful—and it is personal. We are already suffering from the loss of USAID and State Department funding, vital lifelines for health, education, and jobs that have dried up under Trump’s “America First” lens. Now, we are left wondering if the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s electrification project—promised to light up our homes and power our future—will even survive his budget axe. When the big man stumbles, we all feel the shake, but it is not just a tremor here—it is a blackout. Our hospitals dim, our schools falter, and our youth lose hope while Trump haggles over gratitude with Zelensky. Suffering is not optional when the stakes are this high. We have no choice but to hustle harder, lean on ourselves because waiting for America to steady itself could leave us in the dark too long.