President Donald Trump’s meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stunned several hawkish Republican lawmakers, reported Axios.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told the news outlet that Friday was a “bad day for America’s foreign policy.”
"Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law. It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom," he said.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy was a “disaster – especially for Ukraine.”
"Sadly, the only winner of today is Vladimir Putin,” he said in a post on X.
“President Zelenskyy and his team must work with President Trump and his administration to get this agreement back on track immediately.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., meanwhile, called for Zelenskyy to step down unless he apologized to Trump.
“Devastated. Everything I … have been working for to try to get a new relationship with the United States around a critical minerals deal beneficial to both of us was completely obliterated today,” Graham, one of the most outspoken advocates for supporting the Ukraine war effort, said on Fox News’ “America Reports.”
“The question for me is, Is he redeemable in the eyes of Americans? Most Americans witnessing what they saw today would not want Zelenskyy to be their business partner, including me, and I’ve been to Ukraine nine times since the war started,” he said.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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