Top Republicans on Capitol Hill are urging President Donald Trump to smooth things over with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after their Oval Office blowup last week threw the relationship between the two countries into chaos.
That includes MAGA ally Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) – a member of the House Intelligence Committee – as well as Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), according to a new report in Politico. They all encouraged Trump to find a resolution to the public confrontation and sign the rare-earth minerals deal put on hold after the meeting broke down.
“I just hope that they can get things back on track and that everybody will redouble their efforts,” Johnson told reporters Monday when asked about the meeting last week. “This is a historic opportunity, a potentially historic agreement, and obviously last week was a missed opportunity.”
He added: “But I think if people are operating in good faith, I think we could get things back on the rails.”
ALSO READ:'Absolutely unconscionable': Ex-Republican demands Trump removed from office after fight
Speaker Mike Johnson remained unwavering in his support of Trump, but told reporters Monday: “I encourage — as I did over the weekend — President Zelenskyy to come back to the table and accept the deal that was proposed because that is the solution to get us out of this mess.”
But Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) announced Monday afternoon that the mineral deal would be signed “in short order” following what he called a “productive one-on-one conversation with Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff.”
“We are 100% getting this train back on the tracks,” Fitzpatric k wrote on X. “This mineral deal will be signed in short order, which will lead to a strong long-term economic partnership between the United States and Ukraine, and which will ultimately and naturally lead to security assistance.”
He added: “Europe will be required to step up and do its part, and there will be mandates for them to do just that. Stay tuned for further details.”