Zelensky Addresses Resignation Demand From Leading GOP Senator

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared for an interview Friday evening with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, hours after a fiery confrontation inside the Oval Office with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Zelensky had flown to Washington, D.C., aiming to negotiate terms for ending the ongoing war with Russia, as well as finalize a proposed agreement granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. However, both efforts crumbled following the contentious White House meeting.

During the interview, Baier asked directly: “So [Sen. Lindsey Graham] says you need to consider resigning. Is that on the table?”

Zelensky, visibly disheartened, replied: “I don’t know if he will be happy after my words. This decision can do only people of Ukraine.” His response made it clear that, in his view, only Ukrainian citizens have the authority to decide who leads their nation, through the democratic process.

Baier pushed further, asking: “You’re not going to step down to do a peace deal?”

“No, I was always ready. I’m not sure that it’s a good idea for such proposals. But anyway, I always said if the United States will support NATO, I think that it’s enough for Ukraine,” Zelensky explained.

He added: “So I think I did all I had to do, and if somebody is not happy with me, OK. But between us, yes, Americans vote for American president. Each European country votes for their president, and only Ukrainians.”

Zelensky also made a personal note about Senator Graham: “With all respect to Lindsey, if I can say Lindsey, we know each other, yes, and only Ukrainians.”

This stance creates a dilemma, since Zelensky suspended elections under martial law, after the war with Russia began — meaning Ukrainians currently have no way to make that leadership decision through voting.

The earlier Oval Office meeting, which quickly turned confrontational, featured a pointed moment where Trump wagged a finger at Zelensky, seated beside him, and declared that Ukraine needed to “be thankful” for the massive financial and military support it received from the U.S. under the Biden administration after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

“It’s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this,” Trump warned, before Vance jumped in.

“You can say ‘thank you’ –” Vance began, only to be interrupted by Zelensky, who insisted he had already thanked “the American people” many times for their assistance.

Vance continued: “You can accept that there are disagreements, and let’s go litigate those disagreements rather than trying to fight it out in the American media when you’re wrong. We know you’re wrong.”

Trump then took over once more.

“But you see, I think it’s good for the American people to see what’s going on,” Trump said. “You have to be thankful. You don’t have the cards. You’re buried there. Your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers –” he went on, as Zelensky tried to cut in.

Trump pressed forward: “No, listen. Then you tell us, ‘I don’t want a cease fire. I don’t want a cease fire.’ Look — if you could get a cease-fire right now, I tell ya you’d take it so the bullets stop flying and your men stop getting killed.”

Zelensky fired back: “Of course I want to stop the war. But I said to you with guarantees.”

Trump countered again: “But you’re saying you don’t want a cease-fire. I want a cease-fire. Because you’ll get a cease-fire faster than you’ll get an agreement.”