Speaker Mike Johnson calls out Zelenskyy over ‘shocking’ behavior during Trump meeting

House Speaker Mike Johnson has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s conduct during a recent Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, describing it as “shocking” and suggesting that Zelenskyy may need to resign if he doesn’t adopt a more cooperative stance.

The meeting, intended to finalize a minerals rights agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine, devolved into a heated exchange. Zelenskyy reportedly challenged key aspects of Trump’s proposed plan to end the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, leading to a public confrontation. Johnson remarked that Zelenskyy “berated and interrupted his host, instead of expressing gratitude for the extraordinary help that the U.S. has provided his country.”

In response to Zelenskyy’s behavior, Johnson stated that the Ukrainian president “needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country to do that.” He emphasized that while there are differing views within the Republican Party, there is unanimous opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions, labeling him as an untrustworthy “old-school community

The incident has elicited varied reactions from U.S. lawmakers. Senator Lindsey Graham suggested that Zelenskyy should consider stepping down to facilitate peace negotiations, stating, “I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelenskyy again.” citeturn0search0 Conversely, Senator James Lankford cautioned against calls for Zelenskyy’s resignation, arguing that it could “spiral Ukraine into chaos” and hinder the search for a suitable negotiator. Senator Bernie Sanders also criticized the suggestion, calling it a “horrific” proposal.

The fallout from the contentious meeting has prompted European leaders to convene in an effort to salvage the minerals agreement and address the escalating tensions. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized Europe’s responsibility in defending itself and pledged £1.6 billion ($2 billion) in arms for Ukraine, including 5,000 air defense missiles.The summit also saw commitments from other European leaders to continue military aid for Ukraine and to provide significant security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression.

As the situation develops, the international community remains watchful of Ukraine’s internal political dynamics and their potential impact on the broader geopolitical landscape.