On 25 September, US Speaker Mike Johnson demanded that President Zelenskyy fire Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova. In a letter to Zelenskyy, Johnson claimed that the ambassador organized a partisan event during Zelenskyy’s recent visit to a munitions factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania. According to Johnson’s allegations, the event was designed to benefit Democrats in the upcoming 5 November US election.
The Hill reported that the House Oversight Chair, Republican James Comer, has launched an investigation into the visit, which Republicans claim excluded GOP members and served as a campaign event for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Pennsylvania visit
Zelenskyy’s Pennsylvania visit drew scrutiny after he appeared alongside Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a key ally of Harris, “other attendees included the largely Democratic officials who represent the Scranton area.” According to The Hill, this event was interpreted by Republicans as a clear signal of political favoritism. Zelenskyy described his Pennsylvania visit as him making “a special trip to the Keystone State to visit the Pennsylvania workers who are playing a vital role in Ukraine’s defense.”
In response, Senator Ted Cruz joined the chorus of criticism, calling Zelenskyy a “moron” and accusing him of interfering in US domestic politics, as per Newsweek.
However, Zelenskyy’s visit also had notable similarities to previous appearances in other states:
“Zelensky’s visit to Pennsylvania mirrors a trip to Utah in July, where he met with Republican Gov. Spencer Cox and signed a memorandum of understanding with state leaders. In both cases, state leaders expressed support for Ukraine in its battle against Russia,” The Hill wrote.
Trump’s claims
This sentiment was echoed by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate Senator JD Vance, who have also criticized Zelenskyy. Vance, who opposes continued US support for Ukraine, was described by Zelenskyy as “too radical” in an interview with The New Yorker on 22 September. Trump, meanwhile, called Zelenskyy a “great salesman” who is “campaigning for Kamala Harris.”
Also, as reported by NBC News, Trump criticized Zelenskyy during a rally in North Carolina, claiming that Zelenskyy is unfairly favoring Democrats in the upcoming election. Trump, who has repeatedly promised to “end” Russia’s war in Ukraine if elected, accused Zelenskyy of undermining his campaign and aligning with Democrats to maintain US financial support for Ukraine.
As Al Jazeera reports, Trump lashed out at Zelenskyy, accusing him of refusing to negotiate with Russia and claiming that even “the worst deal” would have been better than the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“You have a country that has been obliterated, not possible to be rebuilt. It’ll take hundreds of years to rebuild it, there’s not enough money to rebuild it if the whole world got together,” Trump claimed at the North Carolina rally, further suggesting that Ukraine should cede land to Russia: “They would have given up a little bit, and everybody would be living.”
At the same rally, Trump claimed that Ukraine doesn’t exist
“It’s not Ukraine anymore. You can never replace those cities and towns, and you can never replace the dead people. So many dead people. Any deal, even the worst deal would have been better than what we have right now. If they [Ukraine] made a bad deal, it would have been much better,” Trump expressed his conviction.
With a long history of praising Russian President Vladimir Putin, NBC News says, Trump has previously vowed to end the Russo-Ukrainian war on his first day back in the White House, later refusing to say how or whether he wants Kyiv to win.
“I want the war to stop,” Trump when he was pressed during his only debate with Harris, adding: “I want to save lives,” and then falsely claiming that “millions” were dying in the conflict, according to NBC News.
Related:
- US to announce $8 billion military aid package for Ukraine during Zelenskyy’s visit, Reuters sources say
- Reuters: No meeting set between Trump and Zelenskyy during UN visit yet
- CNN: Zelenskyy says long-range weapons ban lift key part of his “Victory Plan”
- Trump avoids endorsing Ukraine’s victory in debate with Harris
- Trump echoes Russian propaganda, blaming Biden for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
