• Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly "bombed" his first meeting with US Pres. Joe Biden at the White House, according to a new book that will be released next week. Guardian (LR: 2 CP: 5)
• According to a pre-release copy of Franklin Foer's The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future obtained by the Guardian, Zelenskyy infuriated Biden in their September 2021 meeting. Guardian (LR: 2 CP: 5)
• Coming five months before Ukraine's war with Russia would break out, the White House's official transcript of the meeting reported mutual declarations of respect and gratitude and included some of the policy aims the leaders discussed. The White House
• However, according to Foer's account, there was considerable amounts of tension between the two presidents. Among the reasons provided was that Zelenskyy "crammed his conversations with a long list of demands," including an insistence that Ukraine join NATO. Guardian (LR: 2 CP: 5)
• Foer writes: "Zelenskyy's frustration occluded his capacity for logic. After begging to join NATO, he began to lecture that the organization is, in fact, a historic relic, with waning significance. He told Biden that France and Germany were going to exit NATO. It was an absurd analysis — and a blatant contradiction. And it pissed Biden off." Guardian (LR: 2 CP: 5)
• The account of the meeting is not the only time that tempers reportedly flared between Biden and Zelenskyy. Following a June 2021 call, sources who spoke to NBC News said that Biden lost his cool with Zelenskyy after the Ukrainian leader started to make additional demands shortly after Biden told him of a $1B assistance package he approved; Biden reportedly raised his voice and said Zelenkyy should show a little more gratitude. NBC (LR: 2 CP: 4)

Pro-establishment narrative:

• Biden was delighted to welcome Zelenskyy to the White House. In the meeting, the US reaffirmed its commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and international integrity, as well as supported Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
  The White House

Establishment-critical narrative:

• Biden's meeting with Zelenskyy was a disaster. The Ukrainian leader came with a long list of demands and started to lecture the US president when he didn't get his way. It wasn't the best way to start off their relationship.
  Guardian (LR: 2 CP: 5)

Nerd narrative:

• There is a 1% chance that Ukraine will join NATO before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
  Metaculus (LR: 3 CP: 3)