Klobuchar Accuses Vance of 'Berating President Zelensky' in the Oval Office

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that Vice President JD Vance berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during their Oval Office meeting last week.

Partial transcript as follows:

KLOBUCHAR: We stand with our friends, not our enemies. We go into negotiations — the great country of America goes into negotiations with strength, not surrender. And I was appalled by what happened in the Oval Office. I was with President Zelensky with a number of Republican and Democratic senators before he left for the White House. He was in great spirits. He was excited to go and sign this minerals agreement which is something that was very important to President Trump and I think that’s actually what’s come out of this is not in President Trump’s best interest. And so, they were — he went there and I just couldn’t believe it. I watched that video like three times, George, and I hope you’re — you played clips. It was Vice President Vance, particularly, who was on the offense who was berating President Zelenskyy who simply was trying to explain that this was, in fact, we needed a strong security commitment from all of our allies to be able to have a lasting peace, which is something that President Trump says that he wants to see. STEPHANOPOULOS: As you said, you met with President Zelenskyy before he went down to the White House. He wasn’t expecting this to happen. Do you think it was a setup? KLOBUCHAR: You know what, either it was an ambush setup, or they just got so hotheaded, the president and the vice president, that what happened, happened. You know, it’s the chaos of this presidency. Its chaos is up. Corruption is up. Costs are up, just ask anyone in the egg aisle. I don’t think the people of America bought into this. Three percent of them side with Russia in this conflict and nearly 60 percent with Ukraine. So my hope listening to the secretary of state today, the British ambassador, there is still an opening here and that is what I care about. And so many of Americans or the soldiers that I just saw last weekend from Ukraine who were getting medical help with hook arms trying to stand up for the Ukrainian national anthem with one leg you know, this is not the time for us to undermine these brave Ukrainians.

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