Egypt Daily News – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sharply responded to U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham’s suggestion that he resign, telling the Republican senator from South Carolina that if he wanted his opinion to matter, he could move to Ukraine and become a citizen.
When asked about Graham’s remarks, Zelenskyy said, “I can grant him Ukrainian citizenship. He would become a citizen of our country, and then his voice would carry weight. I would listen to him as a Ukrainian citizen on the matter of who should be president.”
Graham, a long time supporter of Ukraine but now an outspoken critic of Zelenskyy, responded, “Unfortunately, until there are elections, no one has a voice in Ukraine.”
The exchange came after Zelenskyy met with former U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance in the Oval Office on Friday.
Immediately after the meeting, Lindsey Graham did not hold back his criticism. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, the senator said, “Either he resigns and sends someone we can work with, or he needs to change.”
He described the discussion as “a complete and absolute disaster” and suggested that Zelenskyy’s leadership had become an obstacle to effective U.S.-Ukraine relations.
During the meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy sought to secure stronger U.S. support for Ukraine’s war efforts, but the discussion quickly turned into a public confrontation.
As tensions rose, Trump pressed Zelenskyy on whether Ukraine was willing to make territorial concessions to Russia to end the war. Vance joined in, escalating the confrontation by accusing the Ukrainian president of not appreciating U.S. aid.
Zelenskyy fired back at Vance, asking, “What kind of diplomacy is this?” and referenced Ukraine’s multiple failed negotiations with Russia before the war erupted. The exchange grew more heated, culminating in Trump declaring that Zelenskyy was “gambling with World War III.”
When Zelenskyy countered by recounting Ukraine’s unsuccessful diplomatic efforts with Russia, Vance accused him of being “ungrateful” and “disrespecting the U.S. president.”
The tension peaked when Zelenskyy warned that Russian aggression could eventually threaten the United States. He said, “You have a beautiful ocean, and you don’t feel it now, but you will in the future.” Reportedly, this remark frustrated Trump, who abruptly ended the meeting and canceled a planned joint press conference.
In a later interview, Zelenskyy acknowledged that his Oval Office exchange with Trump and Vance was “heated” but defended his approach, calling it “necessary.”
