Sen. Lindsey Graham calls for the Ukrainian leader to be replaced with someone Washington can deal with
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, who has refused to hold new elections since his presidential term expired last year, dismissed calls to step down in an interview with Fox News following his contentious White House visit on Friday.
US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Zelensky at the White House earlier in the day escalated into a heated argument, with Trump telling Zelensky he was “in no position to dictate” and accusing him of failing to show gratitude to the American people for the aid Washington had provided to Kiev.
The spectacle led many critics to question whether Zelensky could ever regain the reputation of a reliable partner. Even the notoriously pro-Kiev US Senator Lindsey Graham, who has visited Ukraine to meet with Zelensky on multiple occasions over the years, noted that the Ukrainian leader had crossed a line with his behavior.
“What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelensky again,” Graham told reporters. “He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change.”
Fox News host Bret Baier pressed Zelensky on whether he would consider following the senator’s suggestion and resigning.
Zelensky responds to Lindsey Graham’s demand to step down, reiterates once again he will not be resigning to ensure a peace deal. pic.twitter.com/aMp8zBKOUx
“I don’t know if he will be happy after my words: this decision can do only people of Ukraine [sic],” Zelensky replied. When pressed again on whether he would resign to allow for a peace deal in the Ukraine conflict, Zelensky dismissed Graham’s proposal.
“I was always ready… I’m not sure that is a good idea for such proposes [sic],” he said, adding, “Americans vote for American president… Only Ukrainians vote for their president.”
Zelensky’s five-year presidential term concluded in May 2024, but he has repeatedly refused to hold new elections, citing ongoing martial law.
Trump has previously labeled Zelensky a “dictator without elections” with a “4% approval rating.”
After Friday’s disastrous White House meeting, Trump told the press that he believed Zelensky was more focused on tying the US down to long-term military support of Ukraine than on achieving a peace deal.
“We’re looking for peace. We’re not looking for somebody that’s going to sign up a strong power and then not make peace because they feel emboldened,” Trump said. “We’re not looking to go into a 10-year war… This is a man that wants to get us signed up and keep fighting.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized this week that Zelensky would stand “absolutely no chance” of coming out on top unless the election was “grossly rigged.” Moscow has also repeatedly stressed that any deal between Russia and Ukraine signed by Zelensky would be of dubious legal validity due to his expired presidential mandate.
