House Speaker: Zelenskyy May Have to Step Down Over White House Spat

The Ukrainian president ‘needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude or someone else needs to lead the country,’ the speaker said.

President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on March 2 that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may have to resign in the wake of a high-profile public spat with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance during a meeting in Washington last week.

On Feb. 28, Zelenskyy met with Trump, Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and others in the Oval Office and sparred publicly with them in front of reporters amid negotiations over a mineral rights deal and ending the Russia–Ukraine war.