Republican lawmakers are urging President Trump to salvage negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in hopes of reaching a peace deal that halts Russian encroachment and probably offers the US entry to Ukraine’s wealthy mineral wealth.
GOP senators say they hope Trump and Zelensky can put Friday’s heated trade within the Oval Workplace behind them, recognizing that continued U.S. help for Ukraine is essential to sustaining Kyiv’s leverage in peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The deterioration of that meeting was highly unfortunate given the stakes involved. There is no doubt that Putin was the aggressor in Ukraine and launched a brutal, unprovoked attack,” mentioned Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), a number one Republican voice on nationwide safety points.
“I do hope we can come up with a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, but we can’t forget who started this war,” she mentioned.
Whereas a few of Trump’s closest allies need Zelensky to apologize to the president earlier than receiving extra U.S. help, different Republicans try to de-escalate the state of affairs.
They acknowledge the end result of peace talks may have main implications for U.S. management of NATO and the nation’s long-standing coverage of containing Russian energy and affect.
“I just hope that they can get things back on track and that everybody will redouble their efforts. This is a historic opportunity, potentially historic agreement,” Senate Majority Chief John Thune (R-S.D.) mentioned.
“Obviously, last week was a missed opportunity,” he added. “But I think if people are operating in good faith, I think we can get things back” on observe.
Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) mentioned Friday’s assembly on the White Home was “disappointing to say the least,” however he blamed Zelensky for not being extra deferential to Trump within the Oval Workplace.
“I hope and pray we can get it worked out,” he mentioned, however he argued the “awkward situation” was “prompted wholeheartedly” by Zelensky, not Trump nor Vice President Vance.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), alternatively, had the harshest criticism of Trump’s dismissive perspective of Zelensky, declaring the brutal putdowns of Zelensky by Trump and Vance in entrance of the world had left her “sick to my stomach.”
“This week started with administration officials refusing to acknowledge that Russia started the war in Ukraine. It ends with a tense, shocking conversation in the Oval Office and whispers from the White House that they may try to end all U.S. support for Ukraine,” she wrote on the social platform X.
“I know foreign policy is not for the faint of heart, but right now, I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world.”
Republicans have been shocked by one other bombshell Monday when Reuters reported the Trump administration is engaged on a plan to ease sanctions on Russia as Trump hopes to revive ties with Moscow.
It was solely three years in the past that Russia sanctioned a number of members of Congress for supporting Ukraine, together with Collins and practically 400 members of the Home.
GOP lawmakers have been additionally placed on protection by Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth’s order for the U.S. Cyber Command to cease offensive operations in opposition to Russia. Whereas it’s not unprecedented for a president to ease up on hostilities throughout peace negotiations, Democrats accused Trump of disarming unilaterally.
“Donald Trump is so desperate to earn the affection of a thug like Vladimir Putin, he appears to be giving him a free pass as Russia continues to launch cyber operations and ransomware attacks against critical American infrastructure, threatening our economic and national security,” Senate Democratic Chief Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) mentioned.
“It is a critical strategic mistake for Donald Trump to unilaterally disarm against Putin,” he declared.
Senate Republicans don’t suppose Zelensky dealt with criticism from Trump and Vance properly, however they don’t need to let the setback obliterate the prospect of a peace deal that may enable Ukraine as a lot territorial sovereignty as doable and deter future aggression.
A number of GOP senators dealing with reelection subsequent 12 months warned that Putin stays a nasty actor and aggressor, regardless of efforts by the Trump administration to thaw U.S.-Russia relations in hopes of bringing the Russian president to the negotiating desk.
“Putin routinely throws people who disagree with him out of windows or blows up the planes they are in. He has not just invaded Ukraine. He is killing anyone who disagrees with him,” Sen. Invoice Cassidy (R-La.) posted on X.
Cassidy informed The Hill final week that “Russia’s clearly the aggressor” and quoted from the 1946 Nuremberg trials of senior Nazi officers to claim that beginning a warfare of aggression is “the supreme international crime.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who additionally faces reelection subsequent 12 months, acknowledged Russia is the aggressor however tried to defend Trump’s entreaties to Putin by arguing he must play the position of dealmaker.
“Russia is the aggressor. Clearly, they’re the adversary in this particular case, but somebody has to stand in the middle and try to find a middle ground to get to a ceasefire to stop the killing,” Rounds informed NewsNation’s Chris Stirewalt on “The Hill Sunday.” “I think that’s where the president wants to be in this case.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) mentioned Friday’s Oval Workplace assembly “obliterated” the work he and others had performed to set the desk for a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal that might have given Trump extra incentive to ensure Ukraine’s safety.
However Trump appeared little inclined to make any safety ensures for Ukraine, and he instructed within the White Home assembly that Zelensky might be risking World Conflict III by pushing for them.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) mentioned a minerals take care of Ukraine and broader peace accord with Russia remains to be salvageable.
Different Republicans mentioned it’s time to tug the plug on U.S. navy help for Ukraine.
“I’ve argued for a long time that it doesn’t make any economic sense to borrow money from China to send it to Ukraine, so I’m glad that he stood up to him and let him know that really there’s not an unlimited pile of money we can give him; it’s not good for our economy,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) mentioned. “Ultimately, there’s going to have to be a peace settlement. Had this been negotiated three years ago, I think Ukraine was in a stronger position three years ago.”
