OH, BOY: Volodymyr Zelensky Didn't Do Himself Any Favors in Interview With Bret Baier
Hours after being booted from the White House by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky kept his appointment for an interview by Fox News Channel's Bret Baier.
Zelensky began the interview by thanking President Trump and the American people for their support throughout Ukraine's three-year war with Russia.
I was always very thankful from all our people. You helped us a lot from the very beginning... you helped us to survive. We are strategic partners, even in such tough dialogue.
Things went downhill quickly from there, when Zelensky was pressed by Baier to answer the question about whether he owed President Trump an apology.
"I respect president and I respect American people, and... I think that we have to be very open and very honest and I'm not sure that we did something bad."
Zelensky added that he thought that some things needed to be discussed privately, which is exactly what Vice President Vance was saying.
Baier asked in a few portions whether Zelensky thought the public spat was helpful for Ukraine or for Zelensky's cause. One of his responses:
I think this kind of spat is -- I mean, it's not good for both sides anyway. And I'm very open but I can't change our Ukrainian attitude to Russia, and I don't want -- they are killers for us. Americans are the best of our friends, Europeans are the best of our friends.
We just want to recognize the reality.
Yes, let's recognize the reality of the death and destruction occurring in Ukraine and that at this point it's looking unlikely that either side is going to have a complete military victory. Recognizing this isn't pro-Russia.
My Townhall Media colleague Kurt Schlichter's column from Thursday expertly went through the realities.
10 Hard Facts About Ukraine and NATO
A number of times Zelensky used the term "just and lasting peace," and that's a very subjective goal. Who defines what's just, and how it can be lasting?
"Ukraine wants peace, and we will have -- we will have any way diplomacy, we will have negotiations. I only said that I think it's about just and lasting peace. We have to be very strong at the table of negotiations."
How does the war end?
The ultimate question, as Baier asked Zelensky, is, how does this all end?
I think Europe is ready to help us with financing a big army ... now we want just to find a place for our biggest strategic partner.
We don't have enough weapon to push them out and we don't see now very big volume of new support from the United States, with all due respect, again. With security guarantee we will be ready.
Loss of Lindsey Graham's Confidence
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has been one of Zelensky's biggest supporters in Congress, and especially on the Republican side of the aisle, but Graham said after the Oval Office debacle, basically, that if Zelensky couldn't get it together, he needed to resign. Baier asked Zelensky for his response to that, and Zelensky declined the offer.
Zelensky first said that this is up to the people of Ukraine, then wandered around a bit before finally circling back to say:
"I'm not sure that is good idea for this -- such proposes. With all respect to Lindsey, only Ukrainians vote for their president."
True, but that requires holding free and fair elections.
The Minerals Deal
Baier said that Zelensky had been told to narrowly focus today on the minerals deal and then worry about ceasefire and security guarantees later, and asked him why that wasn't done.
I said that we have to sign this document and we are ready for this, and this will be the first step to security guarantees, but it is not enough. I think so. Maybe I don't know something, I don't know some details. That's why I wanted to share it with the president, my thoughts, and to hear him, again, because he has a plan how to stop Putin. And maybe it's out of big conversations, but we have to share it.
This is so sensitive, you know, and just a ceasefire without security guarantees, this is so sensitive for our people. I'm speaking like a president of a people who are in the struggle three years and they just want to hear that America on our side and that America will stay with us, not with Russia. With us. That's it. But I'm sure that it will be -- this is the first step to security guarantees.
Call me simplistic, but with all of the money Ukraine would make from the minerals deal, wouldn't Zelensky be able to fund some of that security guarantee? (Ignoring for the moment the fact that Ukraine is running out of people to operate any weaponry.) And perhaps the Ukrainian people need the killing to stop rather than hearing that Americans are rooting for them, not to mention the fact that we've given them billions of dollars in military and humanitarian aid since 2022? Does he want money and action or words?
What's next for Trump and Zelensky?
Can this relationship be fixed? Zelensky told Baier he believes it can be fixed.
He said, in part:
"Yes, of course, because it's relations more than two presidents. The historical relations, strong relations between our people. And that's why I began to thank your people from our people."
Since Trump has already left Washington for the weekend, nothing will happen any time soon. Maybe if Zelensky can show up in a suit and show some proper respect, a deal can be made. For all of our sakes, and especially for the people of Ukraine and Russia, let's hope that can be done.
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