Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is finding himself in a tight spot after many US Republican lawmakers, including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, are calling out his resignation, stating they need a leader who can deal with the Russians and end the war.
This comes as Zelenskyy declared his intention to repair the relations with the Trump administration and reiterated that his country was ready to sign a rare minerals deal with the US. But, top Washington officials minced no words in calling out for his resignation, stating Ukraine needs another leader if a peace deal is to be reached.
NSA Waltz told CNN that Washington is unsure whether Vladimir Zelensky is the right man to lead Ukraine at this juncture. "It is unclear whether President Zelensky, particularly after what we saw on Friday, is ready to transition Ukraine to an end to this war, and to negotiate and have to compromise," Waltz said, adding that it did not appear that Zelenskyy was ready to go to peace.
"We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war," Waltz said. "If it becomes apparent that President Zelensky’s either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in his country, then I think we have a real issue on our hands," he added.
Waltz later told Fox News that he and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio unanimously advised Trump that after that insult in the Oval Office, "they just couldn't see how that can move forward."
Rubio told Zelenskyy that "time is not on [his] side" and that "US aid is not unlimited".
Waltz claimed that it was unclear whether Zelenskyy genuinely wanted to stop the fighting, stating that it was the wrong approach, at the wrong time in history, and with the wrong president to try such an approach. "This is not Joe Biden".
House Speaker Mike Johnson was another Republican voice who vehemently asked for Zelenskyy's ouster. Stating that Zelenskyy needed to come to his senses, Johnson told NBC News that President Trump was trying to get these two parties to a point of peace.
"What President Zelenskyy did in the White House was effectively signal to us that he’s not ready for that yet, and I think that’s a great disappointment," he added.
Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, told Fox News Sunday that Zelensky had "created a huge rift in the relationship."
