Sen. Graham, Zelenskyy trade barbs after suggestion that Ukrainian president should resign

Longtime Ukraine advocate Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., fired shots back at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who suggested the U.S. lawmaker move to Ukraine, so his voice will have weight.

Graham shared a clip posted by Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Sunday showing Zelenskyy speaking with a reporter.

During the interview, Zelenskyy was asked about Graham, who said he should consider resigning as president of Ukraine.

"Lindsey Graham is a very good guy…I can give him Ukrainian citizenship, then his voice will gain weight," Zelenskyy said.

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"Unfortunately, until there is an election, no one has a voice in Ukraine," Graham said while sharing Ingraham’s post.

The South Carolina Republican later posted on X that he has tried "very hard" to maintain his support for the efforts of Ukrainians to fend off the Russian invasion, even expressing admiration for Zelenskyy’s leadership during difficult times.

"I, like so many others, can only give advice," Graham said. "It’s up to President Zelensky (sic) to determine whether or not to take it."

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The comments come days after Zelenskyy’s blowup with Trump and Vice President JD Vance during Friday's televised meeting in the Oval Office. 

Graham described the meeting as a "complete utter disaster."

"He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change," Graham said of Zelenskyy while speaking to reporters at the White House.

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U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as U.S. Vice President JD Vance reacts at the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 28, 2025.  (REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo)

"I have never been more proud of the president. I was very proud of JD Vance standing up for our country," Graham said. 

He slammed the "disrespectful" Oval Office display from Zelenskyy, going as far as saying, "I don't know if we can ever do business with Zelenskyy again."

According to the senator, he doesn't think Americans saw the Ukrainian president as someone they feel comfortable going "into business with" following the televised dispute.

Graham also stressed that the Ukrainian-American relationship is "vitally important." However, he cast doubt on whether Zelenskyy could ever "do a deal with the United States."

Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

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