Tuberville says that "Zelensky's Not Even in the Game"

August 13, 2025 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) told Newsmax earlier this week that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is "Not even in the game," in negotiations to end the Ukraine/Russia War that has raged for 3 and a half years.

President Donald J. Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Thursday in Anchorage, Alaska. Tuberville said that President's Trump and Putin will decide Ukraine's fate.

Tuberville claimed that Zelenskyy has been "brainwashed by the globalist socialist group in Europe" and suggested that Ukraine's leader is prolonging the war to continue receiving Western aid.

"Zelensky for some reason wants this war to keep going," said Tuberville. "But he's not even in the game. It's going to be Putin and President Trump and the people on our side that will end up making this decision for the future of Ukraine."

Tuberville has been an outspoken opponent of the U.S. providing aid to Ukraine.

"I'm not voting for a dime to Ukraine," Tuberville said last year. Ukraine is "like a junior high playing an NFL team in football. They can't win."

Tuberville has said that continued foreign aid to support Ukraine is fiscally irresponsible.

"We are printing money for other countries while inflation continues to crush the American citizen," said Tuberville.

Zelensky for his part oppose peace talks that do not include Ukraine.

"It is impossible to talk about Ukraine without Ukraine," Zelensky said.

Zelensky said that bilateral talks between Trump and Putin cannot credibly address the war.

"These are stillborn decisions," Zelensky said. "They are unworkable decisions."

Zelensky said that any land swaps and ceasefire proposals without Ukraine in the negotiations would fail to achieve real peace.

A May Harvard Caps/Harris polls showed that American support for continued aid for Ukraine remains strong. In the Harvard poll, 2% of Americans support continued military aid and tougher sanctions on Russia. Support includes 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans.

Tuberville announced in May that he is running for Governor of Alabama. The Republican primary is May 19, 2025.

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