House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may need to step down if he does not approach peace talks with a more conciliatory stance. However, when asked directly, Johnson did not call for Russian President Vladimir Putin to do the same.

During an interview on Meet the Press, NBC’s Kristen Welker questioned Johnson about the perception that former President Donald Trump and some Republicans are aligning with Russia in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Johnson rejected that notion, saying, “It’s pretty absurd for anyone in the media or Democrats to somehow proclaim that President Trump, the White House, or Republicans in Congress are on Putin’s side. It’s a joke. We understand that he is a dangerous adversary and he is the one that provoked the war.”

However, Welker pointed out that Trump had previously stated the opposite, blaming Ukraine for instigating the war. In a February 18 statement, Trump told Zelensky, “You should’ve never started it.”

Johnson defended Trump’s stance, arguing that the former president is focused on brokering peace between the two nations. “President Trump is trying to get these two parties to a point of peace. And it takes certain maneuvers and certain strategies to do that,” Johnson said. “What President Zelensky did in the White House was effectively signal to us that he’s not ready for that yet. And I think that’s a great disappointment.”

Welker pressed Johnson on whether the United States is abandoning Ukraine, given recent developments, including the U.S. siding with Russia and North Korea at the United Nations, refusing to condemn Russian aggression. Johnson denied that the U.S. was shifting its position.

“No, they’re not abandoning Ukraine,” Johnson stated. “I saw Zelensky rather stiff-necked in the Oval Office instead of being gracious and saying, ‘Thank you,’ and looking for a way out of this mess.”

Johnson then suggested that if Zelensky does not return to negotiations with a more cooperative attitude, Ukraine may need new leadership.

“Either he needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country to do that,” Johnson said, emphasizing that it is ultimately up to Ukrainians to decide. He added that the war has gone on for too long, causing significant casualties, and that efforts should now focus on securing peace.

Welker followed up by asking if Johnson believed Putin should also step down.

“So just to put a fine point on that, you are saying that it might be necessary for President Zelensky to step down and not Putin,” she asked. “Do you want to see Putin step down?”

Johnson responded that he wants Putin defeated, but did not call for his removal.

“I’d like to see Putin defeated, frankly,” he said. “He is an adversary of the United States. But in this conflict, we’ve got to bring an end to this war. It’s in everybody’s interest.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)