“Our checkbook is done,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said during the latest episode of The Verdict podcast, discussing the tense exchange Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky had with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Friday.
“My view is America first, which means I want our allies to be strong and I want our enemies to be weak,” Cruz said.
“It’s the reason I’ve urged President Trump, yes, you campaigned on we should end the war in Europe. Enough is enough. Stop sending money, but we want a negotiated outcome that is a clear loss for Russia. Why? Because Russia is our enemy. Putin is our enemy, and we don’t want our enemy made stronger,” he said, explaining that Zelensky’s performance was “so bad, so outrageous, so infuriating, that Zelensky increased the chances of an outcome that benefits Putin, and that is bad for Ukraine, bad for America, and bad for the world.”
Despite being told not to, Zelensky made it clear that he is seeking “security guarantees,” which amounts to U.S. troops on the ground, in order to agree to peace.
RELATED — Trump and JD Vance Warn Zelensky About Rejecting Peace: “You Don’t Have the Cards Right Now”
Cruz added that if Europe wants to step up and continue the war, they are free to do so.
“I say, great if Europe wants to step up and fund the war for another year, knock yourselves out, guys — like our checkbook is done,” Cruz said.
“But it is striking. It’s an indication of just how disastrous Zelensky’s meeting was that he immediately ran to the United Kingdom, to France, to meet with the King of England,” he continued, later adding, “I’m all for the Europeans stepping in and doing everything they can if they want to do that. Knock yourself out.”
“They’re welcome to spend their money, but we’re not the welfare provider for the world and to be clear, why are we borrowing — when we’ve got $36 trillion in debt — why are we borrowing money from China to give it to other countries?” he asked, noting that Zelensky was at the White House to sign another agreement — the minerals deal — which was already agreed to and would have been great for Ukraine and the United States.
“I think the White House thought Zelensky was going to show up, sign the agreement and leave. He didn’t. Instead, he put on this performance,” he added.
Zelensky this week continued to reject talks of peace, asserting that a deal to end the war “is still very, very far away.”
President Trump is still not having that.
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” he warned.
“It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia,” Trump added. “What are they thinking?”
Trump kicked Zelensky out on Friday after his and Vance’s smackdown.
“How do you come insult someone when you’re practically begging them for money and assistance, when you’re wholly dependent … and then walk into their White House and their Oval Office and try to be argumentative and insulting and fact-checking?” Trump National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said on Breitbart News Saturday.
“So we made that clear in no uncertain terms,” he added. “We made it clear that the negotiation, which could have been a fantastic day for them and the country, was over, and now it was time to go.”
RELATED — Get Out! Zelensky Leaves White House After Trump, Vance Torch Him in Oval Office Meeting
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