Lankford disagrees with calls for Zelensky to resign: ‘Would spiral Ukraine into chaos’

Speaking on NBC News’s Meet the Press, Lankford was asked if he thought Zelensky would need to resign as some of his Republican colleagues have suggested. The Oklahoma senator said if Zelensky was removed, that would “spiral Ukraine into chaos.”

“I don’t agree. I’m not interested in calling on the resignation of other world leaders. I didn’t like it when Chuck Schumer asked for Netanyahu to be removed. I don’t like it when other members of the Senate ask for Zelensky to be removed either. Quite frankly I think that would spiral Ukraine into chaos right now trying to find who is the negotiator to bring an issue to peace,” Lankford said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), one of the most outspoken supporters of Ukraine, was one of the Republicans calling for Zelensky to resign in the wake of what he called an “absolute, utter disaster” of a meeting in the Oval Office. He said that Zelensky should either apologize or Ukraine needs to “send us somebody new we can deal with or just accept the consequences.”

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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also suggested that a change in Ukrainian leadership may be necessary, saying, “Something has to change. Either he [Zelensky] 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.”

After the White House visit that was cut short and left a minerals deal between the two countries unsigned and up in the air, Zelensky traveled to the United Kingdom to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and attend a defense summit of European leaders. Speaking to British media late Sunday, Zelensky signaled he is still ready to sign the minerals deal and believes the United States is as well, despite U.S. Cabinet officials such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pointing out the futility of an economic agreement if Zelensky wants the fighting against Russia to continue.