Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, has publicly chastised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his refusal to step down.
This rebuke follows Zelensky's dismissal of Graham's earlier calls for his resignation, which were prompted by what Graham perceived as disrespectful comments made by Zelensky during a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
In a public statement, Graham highlighted the current political climate in Ukraine, stating, "Unfortunately, until there is an election, no one has a voice in Ukraine." This comment was made in response to Zelensky's dismissal of Graham's previous suggestion that he resign.
The Ukrainian President had been informed of Graham's stance by a reporter, to which he responded by describing Graham as "a very good guy," and even jestingly offered him Ukrainian citizenship, implying that this would give Graham's opinions more weight in Ukraine.
According to Breitbart, the contentious meeting in the Oval Office involved not only President Trump and President Zelensky, but also Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During this meeting, Zelensky criticized European governments and previous US administrations for their failure to halt Russian President Vladimir Putin's annexation and occupation of Crimea in 2014. This critique was in response to Vance's suggestion of "engaging in diplomacy" as a path to peace.
Zelensky questioned Vance's proposition, asking, "What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about? What do you mean?" Vance responded by emphasizing the urgency of ending the destruction of Ukraine, a sentiment that Zelensky attempted to dismiss. Vance then accused Zelensky of being "disrespectful" for attempting to "litigate this in front of the American media" in the Oval Office.
Vance stated, "With respect, I think its disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media." He further criticized Zelensky's handling of the conflict, stating, "Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict."
Zelensky defended his country's actions during the war, stating, "First of all, during the war, everybody has problems." He also implied that the US would eventually feel the impact of the conflict, a claim that was swiftly dismissed by President Trump. Trump responded, "Dont tell us what were going to feel. Were trying to solve a problem, dont tell us what were going to feel because youre in no position to dictate that. Youre in no position to dictate what were going to feel."
Trump also refuted Zelensky's insinuation that Ukraine had been left to fight alone, reminding him of the substantial military and monetary aid provided by the US. "You havent been alone. We gave you, through [our] stupid president, $350 billion," Trump said. "We gave you military equipment. If you didnt have our military equipment, this war wouldve been over in two weeks."
Following the meeting, the White House confirmed that Zelensky had been asked to leave without signing a minerals deal. Trump later issued a statement asserting that Zelensky is "not ready for Peace if America is involved," and accused him of having "disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office." This incident underscores the ongoing tension between the US and Ukraine, and the challenges that lie ahead in their diplomatic relations.
Login