]
Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “call and win a new election” to “strengthen his hand” in negotiating a peace agreement to end the three-year war in Eastern Europe.
Golden, a battleground district Democrat, praised Ukrainian soldiers for “bravely” fighting against Russian troops but argued that a prolonged war of “attrition” would make Kyiv’s outcome “worse, not better.”
“If the Ukrainians still have the will to fight, no one will be able to force a peace deal on them that they don’t like,” Golden said in a statement on Tuesday.
“But if peace is on the table, as President Zelenskyy indicated just today, then he should do what it takes to strengthen his hand in negotiating a deal his people can accept,” Golden stated. “One way to do that is to call and win a new election — to show the world he has the mandate to negotiate on behalf of his people.”
Tensions have been bubbling up between Trump and Zelensky even before their explosive fallout on Friday in the Oval Office.
Trump previously hammered Zelensky over his leadership of the nation, calling him a “dictator without elections,” doing a “terrible job” as the head of the war-torn country and blaming Ukraine for starting the war.
Zelensky fired back, claiming Trump was living in a Russian “disinformation space.”
The commander-in-chief also questioned why Zelensky did not hold a country-wide election.
“Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and ‘TRUMP,’ will never be able to settle,” Trump previously wrote on Truth Social.
Because of the marital law imposed after Russia’s February 2022 invasion, Ukraine’s presidential election was postponed.
On Tuesday morning, Zelensky described his heated meeting at the White House Friday with Trump and Vice President Vance as “regrettable,” but stopped short of offering an apology over the huddle that appeared to strain the relations between Washington and Kyiv.
Ukraine’s president also said in the Tuesday social media post that Kyiv is ready to negotiate a peace deal to put an end to the conflict in Eastern Europe.
“Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format,” Zelensky wrote. “We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively.”
Golden said on Tuesday that Trump’s push to secure peace between the two sides is “appropriate,” but also added that Russia still is a “threat” to America.
“Pushing for peace is appropriate for President Trump, but whatever he does to help bring an end to this war should keep in mind the truth that Russia has been, and continues to be, a threat to America,” Golden said on Tuesday.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of Ukraine’s ardent backers on Capitol Hill, said he was “proud” of Trump and questioned if Washington could still do to “do business” with Zelensky again after Friday’s blowup.
“He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change,” Graham added.
The South Carolina lawmaker seemed to commend Zelensky for his Tuesday X post, saying that “Better days are ahead.”
