Johnson Suggests Zelenskyy May Need to Step Down for Peace in Ukraine

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Speaker Mike Johnson has suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may need to either reconsider his stance or resign to bring an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine. During an appearance on NBC’s *Meet the Press* on Sunday, Johnson echoed sentiments previously expressed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, stating, “Something has to change. Either he 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.”  

Speaker Mike Johnson on NBC says he thinks President Zelenskyy may need to resign to get a peace deal: “Either he needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude or someone else needs to lead the country. It’s up to the Ukrainians to figure that out.” pic.twitter.com/xHIRaYZDsF

— Ostap Yarysh (@OstapYarysh) March 2, 2025

 

Johnson’s remarks followed a tense meeting on Friday between Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office. The encounter reportedly became heated, with Zelenskyy facing criticism for not expressing enough gratitude for U.S. efforts to broker peace and for his reluctance to commit to negotiations.  

 

“The fact that he acted as he did, I think, was a great disappointment,” Johnson later said in an interview on CNN’s *State of the Union*.  

 

Originally, Zelenskyy’s visit was intended to include the signing of a minerals agreement meant to bolster Ukraine’s future security. However, following the Oval Office dispute, the remainder of his visit was abruptly canceled. Trump later took to Truth Social, writing that Zelenskyy had “disrespected the United States in its cherished Oval Office” and would only be welcome back “when he is ready for Peace.”  

 

After the argument, Zelenskyy was expelled from the White House, further fueling criticism of Trump’s handling of the situation. On Saturday, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who has been openly critical of Trump, condemned his actions. In a post on X, she warned that the U.S. was “walking away from our allies and embracing Putin.”

 

Johnson rejected Murkowski’s criticism, stating on CNN that she was “plainly wrong” and asserting that “the person who walked away from the table yesterday was President Zelenskyy.”  

 

Although Johnson stood by Trump’s position on Zelenskyy’s role in the failed meeting, he did not hesitate to condemn Russian aggression. In contrast to Trump, who has often avoided strong rhetoric against Russia, Johnson was clear in his stance against Moscow.  

 

“I’d like to see Putin defeated, frankly,” Johnson said on NBC. “He is an adversary of the United States. But in this conflict, we’ve got to bring it into this war. It’s in everybody’s interest.”  

 

On CNN, he reiterated his position, stating, “Putin is the aggressor. It is an unjust war. We have been crystal clear about that.”

 

Based on a report by Politico  2025-03-04