Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said he was glad former President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met but that there was a “strikingly awkward moment” when Trump mentioned Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I’m glad they met. It’s important that there are conversations between President Zelensky and both Republican and Democratic leaders of our nation and candidates to be the next president of our nation,” Coons said Sunday on “Fox News Sunday.”
Trump and Zelensky met Friday during the Ukrainian president’s most recent visit to the United States. Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, lauded his relationship with Putin and said he plans to work with both parties to “work out something that’s good for both sides.”
Coons said Sunday there is a clip of Trump and Zelensky meeting where the former president told the Ukrainian leader he is a “very good friend” of Putin’s.
“And you could see Zelensky sort of stiffen up and go, ‘Well, I hope you’re a better friend of Ukraine than you are a friend of Russia under Putin,” Coons said. “So, it was a strikingly awkward moment.”
The Delaware senator called Putin a “war criminal” who has carried out “horrific attacks” against Kyiv.
“We should not have a President of the United States saying that he is seeking to be a better friend of Vladimir Putin,” Coons said.
