The unprecedented public spat resulted in Zelenskyy leaving the White House without the anticipated signing of a preliminary pact on sharing Ukrainian mineral rights.
While European leaders have rallied around Ukraine, Republican officials have appeared on news programmes questioning whether any deal could be reached with Russia so long as Zelenskyy remains.
โEither 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,โ said Republican Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
โI mean, itโs up to the Ukrainians to figure that out, but… we need President Zelenskyy to do what is necessary.โ
Democrats: โAmerica is trying to align itself with dictatorsโ
Senior Democrats have angrily pushed back since the debacle last week, saying Trump has come dangerously close to an all-out embrace of Russia.
โThe White House has become an arm of the Kremlin,โ said Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat who has emerged as one of Trumpโs most outspoken critics.
โIt appears America is trying to align itself with dictators,โ he said on CNN.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted, however, that the White House was clear-eyed about Putinโs Russia.
โNo one here is claiming Vladimir Putin is going to get the Nobel Peace prize this year,โ he said on ABC.
Rubio added, however, that the first step in securing peace is to get the parties to talk together.
โYou cannot end a war unless both sides come to the table,โ he said.
โIโm not promising you itโs possible,โ he added. โIโm not telling you itโs 90% likely.
โIโm saying itโs 0% likely if we donโt get them to a negotiating table.โ