Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) ripped President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance for their contentious meeting with the Ukraine leader.
Trump and Vance berated Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on Friday, calling him “disrespectful” and demanding that he offer thanks to the U.S. leaders. The Republicans were heavily criticized for their behavior on social media platform X as Russian state media celebrated the meeting.
Cheney said that the Trump administration “abandoned all” the U.S. stood for during the meeting.
“Generations of American patriots, from our revolution onward, have fought for the principles Zelenskyy is risking his life to defend. But today, Donald Trump and JD Vance attacked Zelenskyy and pressured him to surrender the freedom of his people to the KGB war criminal who invaded Ukraine. History will remember this day— when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for," she wrote on X.
The civil meeting turned contentious after Vance told Zelenskyy, “Mr. President, with respect. I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.”
Trump then told Zelenskyy that he should be more “thankful” and warned that he was dealing with a potential “World War III.”
“You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have,” Trump said.
Zelenskyy left the White House shortly after the meeting without signing a minerals deal with the U.S. that Trump demanded.
Earlier in the meeting Trump said the U.S. would continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine, but said he hoped that not too much aid would be forthcoming. “We’re not looking forward to sending a lot of arms,” Trump said. “We’re looking forward to getting the war finished so we can do other things.”
Trump suggested that Zelenskyy wasn’t in a position to be demanding concessions.
“You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump said pointing his finger toward Zelenskyy. “With us you start having cards.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stories by Lauren Sforza
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.