‘I told him not to take bait:’ Top Trump ally says he warned Zelenskyy ahead of fiery clash with Trump

Ahead of the unprecedented showdown between Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump in the White House on Friday (February 28), a Republican leader is said to have warned the visiting president against taking the “bait”.

GOP leader and a Trump ally, Lindsey Graham, has now claimed he warned Zelenskyy “not to take the bait” by getting into an argument with Trump as the US president is known for not taking criticism well.

‘Don’t take the bait’

Graham was among the few leaders whom Zelenskyy had met before he met with Trump.

“I told him this morning, ‘Don’t take the bait. Don’t let the media or anyone else get you into an argument with President Trump. What he’s doing today is resetting the relationship’,” Graham said.

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“What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I don’t know if we could ever do business with Zelensky again. I think most Americans saw a guy that they would not want to go in business with, the way he handled the meeting,” said the South Carolina Republican.

Trump-Zelenskyy clash

The Trump-Zelenskyy meeting began on a positive note, with both leaders speaking politely and even expressing admiration for each other. However, tensions quickly escalated when Zelenskyy voiced concerns about trusting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s promises to end the war.

Vice President JD Vance immediately scolded him for publicly questioning Trump, shifting the conversation’s tone.

Zelenskyy became defensive as Trump and Vance accused him of being ungrateful and “disrespectful,” warning of potential consequences for future American support.

As the situation became tense, Trump abruptly cancelled a scheduled joint press conference with Zelenskyy and ordered him to leave the White House. A highly anticipated minerals deal between the US and Ukraine was left unsigned, and a planned White House lunch was also scrapped.

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Speaking to reporters afterwards, Senator Lindsey Graham criticised Zelenskyy’s approach as “just over the top” while praising Trump’s handling of the situation.

“I have never been more proud of the President. I was very proud of JD Vance standing up for our country,” he stated. He also said that either Zelenskyy should resign or “send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change.”

(With inputs from agencies)