US Senator Graham: Zelenskyy must either resign or send someone we can do business with

Following the failure to sign the minerals deal between Ukraine and the US and the argument between presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said that the deal could be revived if Zelenskyy appointed another negotiator.

Source: Graham at a briefing on the White House lawn on 28 February; Voice of America

Quote from Graham: "I think the relationship between Ukraine and America is vitally important, but can Zelenskyy do a deal with the United States? After what I saw, I don’t know."

When asked about what Trump thought of the situation, Graham said: "He was shocked. He was very upbeat. I told Zelenskyy, we’ll talk about security guarantees, we’ll talk about ceasefires and how the war ends. This is a process, you have a new relationship with America. A US$500 billion, half a trillion dollar deal, that President Trump is proud of, that gives us an interest worth defending. Let’s talk about the positives.

But he [Zelenskyy – ed.] was terrible in Munich, and I think that he has made it almost impossible to sell to the American people that he is a good investment, that he is a good business partner…

[Zelenskyy] either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change."

Details: Graham said he had met with Zelenskyy in the morning and told him not to "take the bait", but according to the senator, the Ukrainian president’s behaviour in the Oval Office was "disrespectful" and he didn’t know whether the US would ever do business with Zelenskyy again.

Graham believes that Americans will agree that the way Zelenskyy opposed Trump was simply "over the top".

Background:

• President Zelenskyy left the White House ahead of schedule following an argument with President Trump and VP Vance during a press meeting at the White House.
• Ukraine and the US failed to sign the minerals deal.
• Later, Trump said Zelenskyy had disrespected the US and is not ready for peace.

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