Murkowski criticizes Trump on Ukraine stance: ‘Walking away from our allies’
The statement from the Alaska senator was an uncommon expression of disagreement from someone within the Republican party.
TroibNews 
Sen. Lisa Murkowski sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s contentious exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday, marking a rare instance of dissent within the Republican Party as most members rallied behind Trump’s increasingly confrontational stance toward Ukraine.
“I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world,” the Alaskan senator expressed in a Saturday afternoon post on X.
Her comments followed a tumultuous bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy on Friday, during which Trump openly scolded the Ukrainian president. In the aftermath, most Republicans quickly embraced Trump’s “America First” policy, which shifts America’s global role.
“This week started with administration officials refusing to acknowledge that Russia started the war in Ukraine,” Murkowski noted. “It ends with a tense, shocking conversation in the Oval Office and whispers from the White House that they may try to end all U.S. support for Ukraine.”
The dressing down of Zelenskyy by Trump and Vice President JD Vance in Washington signified a significant pivot in American foreign policy. The administration has been signaling for weeks that America’s priority is no longer aligning with longstanding European allies, as illustrated by Vance’s critical address in Munich in February that startled many around the world.
Additionally, Trump has repeatedly indicated that one of his primary objectives is to normalize relations with Russia, rather than support Ukraine, potentially upending the global security framework he has often criticized.
The White House did not immediately provide a response regarding Murkowski’s remarks.
While many in the GOP stood united behind Trump, Democrats joined a chorus of European leaders offering their unwavering support for Ukraine. Earlier that day, Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who publicly affirmed his backing for the Ukrainian president.
Although Starmer refrained from commenting on the Oval Office conversation, he emphasized the U.K.’s “unwavering determination” to support Ukraine and stated that the country enjoys “full backing across the United Kingdom,” greeting Zelenskyy with a warm welcome at 10 Downing Street in London.
Before heading to London on Friday night, Zelenskyy spoke on Fox News’ “Special Report” with Bret Baier about his relationship with Trump and the U.S., expressing gratitude for ongoing American support and urging for the U.S. to remain “on our side” rather than aligning with Russia.
The earlier confrontation was "not good," according to the Ukrainian president, who maintained that the rapport between the two leaders would not entirely define the bilateral relationship.
Zelenskyy reiterated his desire to strike a deal with Trump that would allow the U.S. to benefit from Ukraine's rare earth mineral reserves, emphasizing the need for security guarantees to ensure lasting peace. Although the two leaders were expected to finalize the deal during Zelenskyy’s visit, Trump announced after the confrontation that there would be no agreement made.
The chaotic meeting faced little criticism from Republicans, who have largely embraced Trump’s departure from a traditional American-led global order.
Even Sen. Lindsey Graham, a long-time proponent of international engagement who had previously pushed for the mineral deal, remarked to reporters outside the White House that Zelenskyy should resign, stating, “I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelenskyy again.”
Other Republicans expressed their approval of Trump’s stance on social media, sharing videos of the heated exchange and praising Trump’s treatment of, as Sen. Tommy Tuberville described, “that Ukrainian weasel.”
However, Murkowski was not isolated in her dissent. Sen. John Curtis and Rep. Don Bacon also conveyed their disapproval of how the meeting transpired.
“Diplomacy and statesmanship seem to have been checked at the door of the Oval Office today,” Curtis wrote on X on Friday, expressing hope that the U.S. and Ukraine could “get back to the table and advance the prospects of a just and lasting peace.”
Both Curtis and Bacon echoed Ukraine's intention to align itself with Western ideals, with Bacon labeling the meeting “a bad day for America’s foreign policy” and asserting that Ukraine “wants to be part of the West,” whereas Russia “hates us and our Western values.”
“We should be clear that we stand for freedom,” Bacon stated, stopping short of directly criticizing the president.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
“I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world,” the Alaskan senator expressed in a Saturday afternoon post on X.
Her comments followed a tumultuous bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy on Friday, during which Trump openly scolded the Ukrainian president. In the aftermath, most Republicans quickly embraced Trump’s “America First” policy, which shifts America’s global role.
“This week started with administration officials refusing to acknowledge that Russia started the war in Ukraine,” Murkowski noted. “It ends with a tense, shocking conversation in the Oval Office and whispers from the White House that they may try to end all U.S. support for Ukraine.”
The dressing down of Zelenskyy by Trump and Vice President JD Vance in Washington signified a significant pivot in American foreign policy. The administration has been signaling for weeks that America’s priority is no longer aligning with longstanding European allies, as illustrated by Vance’s critical address in Munich in February that startled many around the world.
Additionally, Trump has repeatedly indicated that one of his primary objectives is to normalize relations with Russia, rather than support Ukraine, potentially upending the global security framework he has often criticized.
The White House did not immediately provide a response regarding Murkowski’s remarks.
While many in the GOP stood united behind Trump, Democrats joined a chorus of European leaders offering their unwavering support for Ukraine. Earlier that day, Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who publicly affirmed his backing for the Ukrainian president.
Although Starmer refrained from commenting on the Oval Office conversation, he emphasized the U.K.’s “unwavering determination” to support Ukraine and stated that the country enjoys “full backing across the United Kingdom,” greeting Zelenskyy with a warm welcome at 10 Downing Street in London.
Before heading to London on Friday night, Zelenskyy spoke on Fox News’ “Special Report” with Bret Baier about his relationship with Trump and the U.S., expressing gratitude for ongoing American support and urging for the U.S. to remain “on our side” rather than aligning with Russia.
The earlier confrontation was "not good," according to the Ukrainian president, who maintained that the rapport between the two leaders would not entirely define the bilateral relationship.
Zelenskyy reiterated his desire to strike a deal with Trump that would allow the U.S. to benefit from Ukraine's rare earth mineral reserves, emphasizing the need for security guarantees to ensure lasting peace. Although the two leaders were expected to finalize the deal during Zelenskyy’s visit, Trump announced after the confrontation that there would be no agreement made.
The chaotic meeting faced little criticism from Republicans, who have largely embraced Trump’s departure from a traditional American-led global order.
Even Sen. Lindsey Graham, a long-time proponent of international engagement who had previously pushed for the mineral deal, remarked to reporters outside the White House that Zelenskyy should resign, stating, “I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelenskyy again.”
Other Republicans expressed their approval of Trump’s stance on social media, sharing videos of the heated exchange and praising Trump’s treatment of, as Sen. Tommy Tuberville described, “that Ukrainian weasel.”
However, Murkowski was not isolated in her dissent. Sen. John Curtis and Rep. Don Bacon also conveyed their disapproval of how the meeting transpired.
“Diplomacy and statesmanship seem to have been checked at the door of the Oval Office today,” Curtis wrote on X on Friday, expressing hope that the U.S. and Ukraine could “get back to the table and advance the prospects of a just and lasting peace.”
Both Curtis and Bacon echoed Ukraine's intention to align itself with Western ideals, with Bacon labeling the meeting “a bad day for America’s foreign policy” and asserting that Ukraine “wants to be part of the West,” whereas Russia “hates us and our Western values.”
“We should be clear that we stand for freedom,” Bacon stated, stopping short of directly criticizing the president.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
