GOP senators urge Trump to salvage negotiations with Zelensky despite ‘disappointing’ blowup
by Alexander Bolton - 03/04/25 6:00 AM ET
Republican lawmakers are urging President Trump to salvage negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in hopes of reaching a peace deal that halts Russian encroachment and possibly gives the United States access to Ukraine’s rich mineral wealth.
GOP senators say they hope Trump and Zelensky can put Friday’s heated exchange in the Oval Office behind them, recognizing that continued U.S. support for Ukraine is critical to maintaining Kyiv’s leverage in peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5174027-trump-zelensky-ukraine-russia-deal/“The deterioration of that meeting was highly unfortunate given the stakes involved. There is no doubt that Putin was the aggressor in Ukraine and launched a brutal, unprovoked attack,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), a leading Republican voice on national security issues.
“I do hope we can come up with a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, but we can’t forget who started this war,” she said.
While some of Trump’s closest allies want Zelensky to apologize to the president before receiving more U.S. support, other Republicans are trying to de-escalate the situation.
They recognize the outcome of peace talks could have major implications for U.S. leadership of NATO and the nation’s long-standing policy of containing Russian power and influence.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5174027-trump-zelensky-ukraine-russia-deal/
