President Trump delivers remarks at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Seaside, Fla., on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “dictator.”
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Joe Raedle/Getty Photos
Some Senate Republicans took challenge Wednesday with President Trump’s escalating criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “dictator” and his false assertion that Ukraine provoked the continued struggle with Russia, now in its third yr.
Trump’s “dictator” comment got here in a scathing put up on his TruthSocial social account, and adopted feedback by Zelenskyy earlier within the day that he “would like to see more truth from the Trump team.”
The president’s feedback left a number of lawmakers seeking to dispel Russian speaking factors about how the struggle started and who bore final accountability.
“We must remember that the instigator of this war was Russia,” mentioned Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. “It was President Putin who launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine.”
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who simply returned from an official go to to Ukraine, lauded Zelenskyy for retaining his nation collectively and placing up a more durable battle than Russia anticipated.
“I think we should give [Zelenskyy] a fair amount of credit for that work,” he mentioned.
The response amongst Senate Republicans highlights a public intraparty rift with the president on a key White Home precedence, regardless that lawmakers have little energy to alter Trump’s thoughts about approving any extra funding for Ukraine, his private view of Zelenskyy or the rising probability of a peace deal that many lawmakers fear is extra prone to favor Russia’s pursuits.
The president holds super constitutional authority to conduct international coverage with little examine on that energy from Congress or wherever else. An preliminary spherical of U.S.-Russia talks kicked off in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday — with out Ukraine on the desk.
Senators like Tillis expressed some concern that the president is taking a cozier method to Russian President Vladimir Putin, somebody who extra conservative protection hawks historically view as a direct risk to U.S. pursuits.
“Putin’s a murderer,” Tillis mentioned. “He’s a very bad person who needs to be stopped. He’s going to metastasize across Europe if we don’t [stop him.]”
On the identical time Tillis, who’s up for re-election in 2026, prompt that Trump’s negotiating ways usually work for him and mentioned he is prepared to offer him the good thing about the doubt to attempt to finalize a deal that protects Ukraine.
“I’ll give him latitude for now, but at the end of the day, Putin needs to be a loser and the Ukrainian people need to be the winners,” Tillis mentioned.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives on the 61st Munich Safety Convention on Feb. 15, in Munich, Germany. Ukrainian officers had been disregarded of a gathering this week between U.S. and Russia negotiators about ending the struggle in Ukraine.
Sean Gallup/Getty Photos/Getty Photos Europe
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Sean Gallup/Getty Photos/Getty Photos Europe
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., echoed the view that Trump ought to be given room to barter, telling reporters the president is “a public negotiator and understands positioning and likes to soften his targets.”
Requested what he would inform Ukrainians following Trump’s strikes, Cramer mentioned: “Watch Donald Trump masterfully bring an end to the war in your country and don’t expect to get everything you want and don’t expect Vladimir Putin to get everything he wants, but a permanent peace which I think almost every Ukrainian wants.”
Whether or not or not Trump can dealer an finish to the struggle is unlikely to have an effect on the fact that the GOP-controlled Congress has little urge for food for approving any extra international support to assist Ukraine in its battle. All in, Congress has accepted about $175 billion that features direct navy help to Ukraine and funds to rebuild the U.S. navy stockpile.
Zelensky instructed NBC in an interview that aired Sunday that it will be “very very difficult” for Ukraine to outlive with out U.S. support. “I don’t want to think about it,” he mentioned. “Yes, we have to think about it.”
Previous to Trump’s feedback, different prime Republicans had been already expressing concern with the president’s posture towards Russia. In the course of the Munich Safety Convention final week, Senate Armed Providers Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., criticized Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth’s declaration that Ukraine wouldn’t be provided NATO membership as a part of any peace cope with Russia.
“There are good guys and bad guys in this war, and the Russians are the bad guys,” Wicker mentioned throughout a programming interview hosted by Politico. “They invaded, contrary to almost every international law, and they should be defeated. And Ukraine is entitled to the promises that the world made to it.”
Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., speaks to reporters on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Thune spoke in regards to the struggle in Ukraine, saying it was price giving either side “some space” to type out their points.
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Andrew Harnik/Getty Photos
Whereas former Senate Majority Chief Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was – and stays – one of many loudest defenders of U.S. support to Ukraine in Congress, his successor made clear Wednesday he takes a softer method.
“I think what I’m in support of is a peaceful outcome and result in Ukraine, and I think right now the administration, the president and his team are working to achieve that,” Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., instructed reporters. “And I think right now you’ve got to give them some space.”
Requested about Trump’s characterization of Zelenskyy as a dictator, Thune responded: “The president speaks for himself.”
Deirdre Walsh and Lexie Schapitl contributed reporting.
