Zelenskyy meets with bipartisan group of senators ahead of tense White House exchange
A group of bipartisan senators met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday morning ahead of the tense exchange between the Ukrainian leader, President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.
Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Chris Coons, D-Del., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., as well as other Democratic and Republican senators, gathered for an hourlong "encouraging" meeting with Zelenskyy ahead of his visit to the White House, the three lawmakers posted on their social media accounts.
"Just finished an encouraging meeting in Washington with President @ZelenskyyUa and a bipartisan group of Senators to discuss our ongoing partnership with Ukraine," Coons wrote on X, accompanied by a selfie with Zelenskyy, Graham and Klobuchar.
"Really good bipartisan meeting before President Zelensky heads to the White House. We stand with Ukraine.🇺🇦" Klobuchar wrote in a post on X.
"So honored to take part in the hour-long discussion with President Zelensky and Senators Coons, Graham, and other Democratic and Republican Senators this morning. There is strong bipartisan support in the Senate for Ukraine's freedom and democracy," she added.
Graham, in a video, also said he met with Zelenskyy, adding that he was headed to the White House for the signing of the minerals deal.
"This is a half a trillion dollars that will enormously benefit the American economy. Ukraine is the richest country in Europe when it comes to critical minerals," Graham said. "These minerals are necessary for us to compete and win the 21st century economy. President Trump was very excited, President Zelenskyy is very excited about this economic deal."
Graham said he urged Zelenskyy ahead of the meeting with Trump not to "take the bait," but he wasn't the only one, sources told ABC News. They noted that Graham was very blunt, telling Zelenskyy to "suck up a bit" and thank the president extensively.
But senators on both sides of the aisle tried to provide Zelenskyy with "friendly coaching," according to two people who were in the room during the bipartisan meeting with the Ukrainian leader.
While Zelenskyy did express gratitude while meeting with the senators, those in the room said he also pushed back, telling senators he needed a security guarantee. A few senators told him to focus on the mineral deal first and return to security later.
However, the deal now appears to be in jeopardy after Zelenskyy, Trump and Vance sparred in the Oval Office and subsequently canceled the deal-signing ceremony.
Graham at the White House later Friday appeared to change his tune from his morning remarks, saying, "I have never been more proud of the president. I was very proud of J.D. Vance standing up for our country."
"What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I don't think we can do business with Zelenskyy ever again," he said.
"He made it hard for the American people to believe he is a good investment," he added. "He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with or he needs to change."
Still, Klobuchar and Coons came out with posts on X in defense of the Ukrainian president after his exchange in the Oval Office, particularly the moment in which Vance accused Zelenskyy of being "disrespectful" toward his American hosts.
"Answer to Vance: Zelenskyy has thanked our country over and over again both privately and publicly. And our country thanks HIM and the Ukrainian patriots who have stood up to a dictator, buried their own & stopped Putin from marching right into the rest of Europe. Shame on you," Klobuchar wrote.
"Every time I've met with President Zelenskyy, he's thanked the American people for our strong support. We owe him our thanks for leading a nation fighting on the front lines of democracy -- not the public berating he received at the White House," Coons wrote.
