One thing I think the testimony has done well so far is to emphasize the power differential between Ukraine and the U.S. — and by extension, Zelensky and Trump. Zelensky was a new political leader eagerly looking for the legitimacy that a meeting with Trump would give him. His country was at war with Russia and desperately in need of security assistance. This context helps clarify why the Ukrainians couldn’t just shrug off the pressure from Trump’s allies, despite advice from many people not to get involved in U.S. politics — they were really in a precarious situation.
