Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) is pushing back against calls from within his own party for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to resign. Speaking on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ on Sunday, Lankford made it clear he opposes the idea of Zelensky stepping down, despite pressure from some Republican lawmakers.
“I don’t agree,” Lankford stated firmly. “I’m not interested in calling on the resignation of other world leaders. I didn’t like it when Chuck Schumer called for Netanyahu to step down, and I don’t like it when members of the Senate do the same to Zelensky.”
Lankford warned that forcing Zelensky out of power could plunge Ukraine into total chaos.
While he acknowledged that the meeting between former President Trump and Zelensky had ended poorly, Lankford reminded viewers that Trump and Zelensky had previously engaged in productive talks. He also pointed out that Trump had made it a point to meet with Zelensky first, signaling a clear stance on Ukraine.
“President Trump obviously met with Zelensky first,” Lankford said. “Everyone else was working with the Russians. He wanted to meet with Zelensky personally.”
Lankford’s comments come after a fiery exchange last week between Trump and Zelensky, where Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of being “disrespectful,” and Vice President Vance blasted Zelensky for not showing enough gratitude for U.S. support.
In a surprising statement, Zelensky said he would consider stepping down if it would help bring peace to Ukraine, but Lankford’s position remains clear: He believes the idea of removing Zelensky is dangerous and could lead to disaster for Ukraine.
