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Following President Trump’s criticism of President Zelenskyy, division is beginning to show among Senate Republicans as some are pushing back in support of Ukraine.
Some shit you should know before you read: This week, President Trump took to social media to label Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and demanded that Ukraine hold elections, escalating his criticism following Zelenskyy’s remarks about being excluded from US-Russia peace talks. Zelenskyy had voiced frustration over Ukraine not being invited to the negotiations, insisting that his country would not accept any deal unless they were directly involved. In response, Trump argued that Ukraine had “3 years” to negotiate an end to the war and reiterated his desire to bring the conflict to a close. Vice President JD Vance also weighed in, accusing Zelenskyy of attempting to “bad mouth” Trump on the international stage and warning that such actions would not be tolerated.
What’s going on now: Following Trump’s criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, labeling him a “dictator” and questioning the absence of elections in Ukraine, Republican lawmakers are showing signs of division. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) openly defended Zelenskyy, noting that the blame for the war lies solely with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him “a cancer and the greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime.” Similarly, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) reiterated that “the instigator of this war was Russia,” directly opposing Trump’s narrative that Ukraine shares responsibility.
Meanwhile, other Republicans sided with Trump’s perspective, supporting his negotiation tactics and questioning Zelenskyy’s leadership. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) defended Trump’s approach, suggesting that he was strategically “setting up targets and positioning himself for an ‘America First’ solution.” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) also backed Trump’s call for Ukrainian elections, arguing, “He’s the elected leader of the country, but… at a certain point, you’ve got to hold an election.”
This comes as one of President Zelenskyy’s biggest critics in Ukraine, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko—who is believed to be challenging him in the next election—stated that holding an election would be ‘poison for our homeland.’ Speaking to European leaders, Klitschko said, ‘In the current situation, election is poison for our homeland … it’s my personal opinion. Elections are one of the democratic bases, but we have an unusual situation in Ukraine. Almost 10 million Ukrainians are outside of the country, and almost the same number are displaced inside the country. Around a million people are in uniform, fighting on the front line.’
