Hours before the historic meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday (Feb 28), Republican Senator Lindsey Graham had warned the Ukrainian president “not to take the bait” and encouraged him not to get into an argument.

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The two leaders engaged in a tense war of words at the Oval Office, as Trump accused Zelensky of disrespecting the “United States of America in its cherished Oval Office.”

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Graham, a known Donald Trump ally, was among a group of Republican and Democratic senators who met Zelensky before his Oval Office meeting with the US president. 

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Zelensky warned about a spat

“I told him this morning, ‘Don't take the bait. Don't let the media or anyone else get you into an argument with President Trump. What he's doing today is resetting the relationship’,” Graham told reporters.

“What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelensky again. I think most Americans saw a guy that they would not want to go into business with. The way he handled the meeting, the way he confronted the president, was just over the top,” the Republican added.

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Also read | 'Tawdry excuse of a president': Why JD Vance faces protests in Vermont while Zelensky gets grand welcome in UK?

“Don’t take the bait,” Graham recalled telling Zelensky. “President Trump was in a very good mood last night.”

Senator calls for Zelensky’s resignation

While the meeting started off cordially between the two leaders, it took a hostile turn when the Ukrainian leader raised concerns regarding trusting Russian President Vladimir Putin with any promises to end the war. 

Following this, Vice President JD Vance blasted him as ungrateful and “disrespectful” as the US leaders warned of future American support to Ukraine.

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The lashout between the two presidents resulted in the cancellation of a joint press conference and lunch as the Ukrainian president was ordered out of the White House without signing the deal.

Senator Graham further described the Ukrainian president’s approach as “just over the top”. Meanwhile, he praised Trump and Vance, saying, “I have never been more proud of the President. I was very proud of JD Vance standing up for our country.”

He added that Zelensky “either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change.”

(With inputs from agencies)