Senator James Lankford (R-OK) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he disagreed with Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) suggestion that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky should step down.

Host Kristen Welker said, “Let me ask you about something I just discussed with Speaker Johnson, which is that Senator Lindsey Graham has said that President Zelensky may need to resign in order for this peace process to move forward,” NBC’s Kristen Welker told Lankford. “What say you, senator, do you think President Zelensky might need to resign?”

Lankford said, “I don’t agree. I’m not interested in calling on the resignation of other world leaders. I didn’t like it when Chuck Schumer asked for Netanyahu to be removed. I don’t like it when other members of the Senate ask for Zelensky to be removed, either. Quite frankly, I think that would spiral Ukraine into chaos right now, trying to find who is the negotiator to bring an issue to peace.”

Welker asked, “Based on what you witnessed in the Oval Office, Senator, are you concerned that the United States is turning its back on Ukraine?”

Lankford said, “No, we’re not turning our back on Ukraine, nor should we. Putin is a murderous KGB thug that murders his political enemies and is a dictator there. And so we’ve seen that. We’ve seen his aggression.”

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