Kaptur Issues Statement On Trump & Zelenskyy Meeting In Oval Office

PRESS RELEASE –Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus released the following statement following a contentious meeting with American President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.

“Today, the Statue of Liberty hangs her head in shame. The purposeful staging in the Oval Office by the President and Vice President to humiliate an ally and one of the world’s most staunch defenders of democracy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was not merely inappropriate and uncalled for, it was not befitting of the office they hold.

“Lots of congratulatory vodka is being spilled in Communist Russia as Dictator Vladimir Putin and his henchmen celebrate his illegal invasion of a sovereign and democratic European nation.”

“Ganging up on President Zelenskyy, Mr. Trump, a 5-time draft dodger, yelled at Ukraine’s valiant President for Liberty that he should concede security for mineral rights.”

“Mr. Vance, who recently declared, “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine,” ambushed President Zelenskyy with practiced taunts.

“Why would Ukrainian President Zelenskyy turn his back on his heroic 40 million constituents, by agreeing to a Putin-designed cease-fire that gives Communist Russia large chunks of his country with no security guarantees and no enforcement mechanisms?”

“What world leader would ever trade minerals for Liberty? Ukrainians are true freedom fighters. Communist Russia is a brutal, oppressive dictatorship and its President and military are brutal war criminals. Why is President Trump determined to put America on the wrong side of history?

“In 1991, a freed Ukraine surrendered its nuclear weapons in exchange for a sovereign border. She was defenseless — but still a democratic nation.”

“Why would President Zelenskyy sign any agreement that carves up his country and surrenders territory to the Communists — especially if it does not even contain a Security Protocol?”

“Communist dictator Putin’s utter disregard for the rule of law and a free nation’s sovereignty knows no bounds. We knew this when Russian agents began undermining Ukraine’s democracy by installing puppet regimes.”

“We knew it when Putin started killing reporters who advocated for a free Ukraine like journalist Georgiy Gongadze in 2000. We knew it back in 2004 when he poisoned and disfigured former Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko.”

“And we knew it in 2014, during the Sochi Olympics when the world was distracted, vicious Russia ignored Ukraine’s sovereignty and invaded Crimea.”

“Communist Russia has repeatedly shown the world exactly what it is — a brutal, repressive murderous regime. Why are Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance siding with such a horrible human being?

“Three years ago, Putin expanded his invasion by dispatching his tank columns to Kyiv as years of bitter fighting ensued. Against all odds, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who bled for Liberty stopped Russia’s murderous caravan dead in its tracks.”

“The Free World, including Europe and the United States, joined their fight. We proudly helped arm them in their battle against tyranny.

“Today, the American people clearly saw the shameful acts of a President who turned his back on freedom and democracy.”

“A President who tried to humiliate the victims of brutal Russian tyranny — and only made himself look smaller in the process. A President who chose to appease a brutal, murderous dictator rather than stand with Liberty.”

“Moscow’s appetite will only be more whetted by today’s awful display of attempted humiliation and disregard for Liberty. True to her legacy as what Franklin Roosevelt called the “Arsenal of Democracy,” America ought be echoing the call of her Founders: ‘Liberty first, last, and always!'”