(NewsNation) — The Oval Office spat between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy is raising serious questions about the future of the U.S.-Ukraine alliance.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said there is a rift in the relationship and accused Zelenskyy of standing against freedom.
“Many of these European countries who are coming to Zelenskyy’s side as he walked out of the White House saying basically that they are going to support him in continuing this war, and that they don’t stand with us around these fundamental values of freedom,” Gabbard said on “Fox News Sunday.”
National security adviser Mike Waltz and House Speaker Mike Johnson have also joined a growing chorus of Republicans who think Ukraine might be better off finding a new leader.
GOP lawmakers divided on Trump-Zelenskyy feud
But some Republican lawmakers, like Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have blasted the administration’s approach.
On Saturday, Murkowski lamented the situation on social media: “I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world.”
On the heels of the tense clash in the Oval Office, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly paused all U.S. Cyber Command actions against Russia indefinitely — including possible digital offensives by the Pentagon.
This comes as Moscow celebrates the White House’s position. A Kremlin spokesperson said the Trump administration’s new approach aligns with Russia’s vision.
Zelenskyy thanks US after Trump altercation
For his part, Zelenskyy seems to be trying to get things back on track.
During a summit with European leaders in London over the weekend, Zelenskyy recommitted to signing a rare earth minerals deal with the U.S. That deal was originally meant to go public during Friday’s White House visit.
Zelenskyy also stressed Ukraine’s gratitude to the U.S., writing on social media Sunday:
“We are very grateful to the United States for all the support. I’m thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and American people. Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion.”
UK summit drafts peace plan for Ukraine
At Saturday’s summit, European leaders bolstered support for Ukraine and drafted a ceasefire plan for presentation to the U.S.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also promised a $2 billion deal to fund air-defense missiles for Ukraine.
“Because my reaction was we have to bridge this, we have to find a way that we can all work together because in the end we’ve had three years of bloody conflict now, we need to get to that lasting peace,” Starmer told the BBC.
Early chatter of a peace deal involves a temporary truce lasting around one month, but how soon that deal could come — and if it will include security guarantees — remains uncertain.
