Several high-profile Ukrainian politicians would be well-positioned to replace Zelensky if he stepped down as Republicans have suggested.
Some allies of President Donald Trump’s have suggested Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should resign after Friday’s explosive clash with Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House in order to ensure Ukraine and Russia achieve a peace deal amid their ongoing war, but it remains unclear who would lead Ukraine in his place.
Newsweek reached out by email to the U.S. State Department for comment by email on Sunday afternoon.Why It Matters
Tensions between Trump and Zelensky hit a boiling point last week after Trump made disparaging remarks about the Ukrainian leader, such as calling Zelensky a dictator over the fact that Kyiv hasn’t held and doesn’t plan to hold elections during the war. The administration also insisted that Ukraine should prepare to receive few concessions during peace talks, which the U.S. and Russia held without Ukrainian representation.
Trump’s tenor softened, however, after meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and walked back his comments. He even suggested the U.S. would try to get back „as much as possible“ for Ukraine.
However, Zelensky, Trump and Vance argued openly in front of reporters, with Trump yelling at his counterpart and telling him to be more „thankful“ for U.S. assistance. Zelensky left the White House earlier than planned and did not sign a much-touted rare earth mineral deal that the U.S. and Ukraine had agreed on as a major step towards securing a peace deal.What Trump Allies Have Said
Following the exchange, Trump said it would prove difficult to move forward with the current dynamic, and GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina suggested that if Zelensky could not fix things with Trump, Ukraine would „need to get somebody new.“
„This was a missed opportunity, and the question for me for the Ukrainian people: I don’t know if Zelensky can ever get you to where you want to go with the United States“, Graham said during an appearance on Fox News. „Either he dramatically changes, or you need to get somebody new.“
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, on Sunday during an appearance on NBC News‘ Meet the Press told host Kristen Welker that „something has to change“ in order for peace to occur.
„Either he [Zelensky] needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude or someone else needs to lead the country to do that“, Johnson said, while adding that the administration and Republicans understand the danger Russian President Vladimir Putin poses.
Meanwhile, national security adviser Mike Waltz told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday that Ukraine needs „a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war.“
„If it becomes apparent that President Zelensky’s either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in this country, then I think we have a real issue“, he said.
