Congresswoman Madeleine Dean of Glenside released a statement condemning President Trump and Vice President Vance’s treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting at the Oval Office on Friday.

CBS News said the meeting “descended into insults and chaos” and “exposed severe rifts between the U.S. and Ukraine.” President Trump reportedly threatened Zelenskyy to make a deal with Russia regarding a planned signing of a rare minerals deal, and Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of being “disrespectful.”

Zelenskyy expected to use the meeting to push Trump to commit to future military support, USA Today reported. He later departed without signing the deal he had travelled 5,000 miles to seal. A White House official told USA Today that Zelenskyy was asked to leave the building.

“President Trump and Vice President Vance looked into the eyes of a man fighting for his country’s freedom from tyranny and told him to say thank you,” Dean wrote. “Under any circumstance, to insult and demean Ukraine and President Zelenskyy’s fight for liberty is unjustifiable.”

Her statement continues:

And to do so from the Oval Office — an emblem of our own democracy — is repugnant, embarrassing, un-American. I condemn President Trump and Vice President Vance’s behavior — and call upon each to publicly apologize to President Zelenskyy and to our ally Ukraine.

Instead of demonstrating leadership, they acted like two schoolyard bullies.

My faith teaches me to pray for the bully, which I will do. Yet my heart, head, and soul guide me to stand strong against such disgraceful behavior by an American president.

I urge my colleagues in Congress to stand together for Ukraine. We must not abandon Ukraine — to do so betrays our democratic values and puts our own nation at risk. The only president happy today is Mr. Putin.

Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington similarly denounced President Trump and Vice President Vance, accusing them of having “advanced Russia’s propaganda directly from the White House.”

“Pennsylvania is the proud home to over 150,000 Ukrainian and Ukrainian American people,” Shapiro said in a statement. “Some have planted roots here for generations — and tens of thousands are here to find safety after fleeing Vladimir Putin’s aggression.”

The statement continues:

The Oval Office should be a place where we advance American values – not where we retreat from them. When the President and Vice President attacked President Zelenskyy today, they served to undermine the safety and security of America and our national security interests. I support a diplomatic end to this war. Achieving this requires an honest reckoning of who started the war and who the aggressor is, and to that question, there is only one answer: Russia.

In a matter of just a few weeks, the Trump-Vance Administration has alienated many of our allies and is seemingly trying to take us from being the leader of the free world to a hemispheric power, signaling to our friends in Europe that they are on their own. Friends and adversaries elsewhere are taking notice. That is weakness that does not serve the interests of freedom and liberty, and it will create a more dangerous world. 

Strong leaders stand with their allies and they stand on their principles – and I believe we must continue to advocate for the values of freedom and liberty, not cower to dangerous dictators like Vladimir Putin.

In September, the Ukrainian president met with Shapiro at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, which manufactures large-caliber metal projectiles that are being used by Ukraine, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The full meeting is below:

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Screengrab: Youtube