Democrats flip-flop on 'fake peace agreement' following Zelenskyy's Oval Office meltdown
Democratic lawmakers are struggling to keep their story straight in the aftermath of the now infamous Oval Office spat between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance on Friday.
Zelenskyy's combative meeting with Trump and Vance sent politicos into a tailspin, prompting some of his longtime supporters like Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina to denounce the Ukrainian president. At the same time, Democrats like Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut were left scrambling to defend Zelenskyy, causing a slew of mixed messages in the media.
While Democrats try to sort out their own narrative, Trump has consistently upheld his own position.
Murphy at first insisted that the minerals deal was a "fake peace agreement" that would force Ukraine to submit to President Vladimir Putin's will. At the same time, Murphy said that he encouraged Zelenskyy to sign the very deal he criticized just days before.
"Just finished a meeting with President Zelensky here in Washington," Murphy said moments before the Oval Office spat. "He confirmed that the Ukrainian people will not support a fake peace agreement where Putin gets everything he wants and there are no security arrangements for Ukraine."
"This is the latest MAGA conspiracy," Murphy later said in response to a headline claiming Democrats pressured Zelenskyy to reject the peace deal. "Total lie. The meeting with [Zelenskyy] was bipartisan - led by a Senate Republican. We all encouraged him to sign the minerals deal. But yes - he did make clear he wouldn’t accept a bad 'ceasefire' deal that sold out his country."
Murphy's bizarre messaging continued during an appearance on CNN, where he claimed that Zelenskyy was somehow both "ready to sign the agreement" but also "had an obligation" to have a conversation with Trump about the "disaster that would be wrought for Ukraine" if the agreement was signed.
Murphy is not the only Democrat who has had difficulty messaging on the fallout from Zelenskyy's Oval Office appearance. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut originally categorized the minerals deal as a "step toward strengthening American support for Ukraine" but later said the deal was just "Trump's appeasement to Putin."
"An inspiring, heartening conversation with President Zelenskyy this morning," Blumenthal said Friday. "The agreement today is a step toward strengthening American support for Ukraine, but real, reliable security guarantees are needed. We must be consistent in our steadfast commitment to Ukraine."
"Trump’s appeasement to Putin—Peace at Any Price—makes him Moscow’s perfect mouthpiece," Blumenthal said of the peace deal. "Zelenskyy wants peace but not at the price of Ukraine’s freedom & independence. Europe is supporting him. So should we. Kremlin propaganda is applauding & lauding Trump—a disgrace for America."
While Democrats try to sort out their own narrative, Trump has consistently upheld his own position.
"The only President who gave none of Ukraine’s land to Putin’s Russia is President Donald J. Trump," Trump said in a Monday Truth Social post. "Remember that when the weak and ineffective [Democrats] criticize, and the Fake News gladly puts out anything they say!"
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Sen. Graham's support for Zelenskyy slips following heated Oval Office exchange
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina came out against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy despite previously funneling aid to Ukraine.
This change in tone comes after Zelenskyy's remarkably heated exchange with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office on Friday as America mediates peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. As a result of the escalated exchange, the joint presser between Trump and Zelenskyy as well as the signing of the minerals deal was canceled.
'Either he dramatically changes, or you need to get somebody new.'
"He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office," Trump said in a statement Friday. "He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
As a result of the tense shouting match, Zelenskyy managed to lose the support from one of his most reliable advocates on the Hill.
"I urged him to stay on message," Graham said of Zelenskyy. "Be grateful, be thankful. We'll talk about details and security guarantees later. Keep it upbeat. Keep it positive."
"It was an absolute, utter disaster," Graham said. "The question for me is: Is he redeemable in the eyes of Americans? Most Americans witnessing what they saw today would not want Zelenskyy to be his business partner, including me, and I've been to Ukraine nine times since the war started. I met with him this morning."
ZELENSKYY HAS OFFICIALLY LOST LINDSEY GRAHAM: “For the Ukrainian people… Either Zelenskyy dramatically changes or you need to get somebody new.” pic.twitter.com/0fINT2hwgm
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) February 28, 2025
Graham referred to the meeting as "a missed opportunity," questioning the efficacy of Zelenskyy's leadership going forward.
"You don't trifle with this man," Graham said of Trump. "He was very positive. He was very upbeat. He wanted to get a ceasefire. He wants to end the war. And Zelenskyy felt like he needed to debate Trump in the Oval Office."
"This was a missed opportunity," Graham added. "I don't know if Zelenskyy can ever get you to where you want to go with the United States. Either he dramatically changes, or you need to get somebody new."
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A Ukrainian publication has placed dozens of American politicians, activists, and media outlets on a list of those allegedly known to have shared Russian disinformation or otherwise made anti-Ukrainian statements.
Glenn Beck and Blaze Media made the list, which was published in an article titled, Rollercoaster: From Trumpists to Communists. The forces in the US impeding aid to Ukraine and how they do it.
There are 388 people and 76 publications on the list, and Glenn is shocked.
“Why is The Blaze, why am I on this list?” he asks. “Because I believe I’m telling you exactly what’s happening. We have a color revolution happening within our own government, within the NGOs and George Soros and all those people.”
The publication, Texty.org.ua, was founded by Anatoly Bondarenko — who was involved in the TechCamp, which is a public diplomacy program established by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
“The TechCamp is when they go into these countries where they’re going to do a color revolution, and they find all these tech-savvy people, and they show them how to build movements against their government. That’s what our State Department is doing,” Glenn explains.
“Would they like to clarify this, would anyone like to make a public statement on why we’re there, and you know, curious why the editor in chief and the cofounder was trained by the State Department?” Glenn asks. “It’s really interesting that this organization has ties to the State Department and USAID. Their founder was a part of the TechCamps.”
“It’s almost like we’ve been outed for saying bad things about the State Department and the U.S. government perpetrating color revolutions and saying this is how they do it and so then, they have a shell organization that they themselves have created to what? Prove me right?”
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