New Delhi: In a dramatic turn of events, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired back at US Senator Lindsey Graham’s suggestion that he should step down. This comes after a heated meeting in the Oval Office on Friday, where Zelensky clashed with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance over US support for Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia. The meeting, which was intended to finalize a deal on rare earth minerals, ended abruptly without an agreement.
Zelensky, in response to Graham’s remarks, offered a sharp retort, suggesting that if Graham wanted his opinion to carry weight, he could become a Ukrainian citizen. “I can give him the citizenship of Ukraine,” Zelensky said, emphasizing that only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide their president.
The tense exchange in the Oval Office began when Zelensky sought stronger US backing for Ukraine’s war effort. However, the discussion quickly escalated into a public confrontation. Trump pressed Zelensky on whether Ukraine was willing to make territorial concessions to Russia, a suggestion that Zelensky strongly opposed. The meeting ended with Trump declaring that Zelensky was “gambling with World War III,” after which the Ukrainian president was asked to leave.
Graham, a long-time advocate for Ukraine, called the meeting a “complete and utter disaster.” He suggested that Zelensky either needed to resign or change his approach if the US was to continue supporting Ukraine effectively. Zelensky defended his stance, stating that his approach was necessary and that decisions about his leadership should be made by the Ukrainian people alone.
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