CNN’s Jennings Visually Shocked When Panelist Agrees with Him on Zelenskys Blunder [WATCH]

A heated exchange unfolded on Laura Coates Live on CNN as political commentator Scott Jennings sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for what he described as an unnecessarily difficult approach to U.S. relations.

Jennings argued that Zelensky’s actions and attitude were complicating efforts to maintain American support.

The discussion began with host Laura Coates questioning whether President Donald Trump required an apology from Zelensky in order to move forward in negotiations.

Elon Musk Called This Financial News ‘Terrifying’

“I keep hearing about apologies,” Coates said, “and perhaps maybe it sounds nice in theory, but the idea—does President Trump actually need an apology from President Zelensky to either, A, move forward in his negotiations, or to objectively view how the U.S. should appropriately deal with them?”

Jennings responded by shifting the focus to what he saw as a more pressing issue—Zelensky’s recognition of Ukraine’s position relative to the U.S.

“I don’t know if he needs an apology,” Jennings said. “He needs Zelensky to recognize the position that he’s in.”

Emphasizing the crucial role the U.S. plays in Ukraine’s survival and future, Jennings stated, “We’re their patron. We’re their best hope for the killing to stop and for them to emerge from this sovereign and prosperous. And we’re also their best hope as a business partner.”

100% FREE Gun Law Map CLICK HERE

Jennings then criticized Zelensky’s handling of a key diplomatic meeting with U.S. officials, arguing that the Ukrainian leader’s behavior was needlessly provocative.

“All Zelensky had to do today was put on a tie, show up, smile, say thank you, sign the papers, and have lunch. That’s it. And he couldn’t do that,” Jennings said.

He described Zelensky’s conduct as a failure in diplomatic etiquette, adding, “And this followed ten days of being difficult in private and now one day of being stupid in public.”

Coates pushed back, calling the criticism of Zelensky’s attire a “ridiculous notion.”

However, Jennings stood by his assessment, pointing out that Zelensky was making an already complex situation harder than necessary.

“This did not have to go down this way,” Jennings said.

“However you feel about why it started, why it’s going on, who’s right and who’s wrong, we can help them in this and come out okay on the other side, and he’s making it hard.”

The most unexpected moment of the discussion came when Washington Post global security analyst Josh Rogin agreed with Jennings.

“Laura, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I actually agree with Scott. And everything that he said was basically right,” Rogin admitted.

“I know I’m going to get killed on social media for admitting that, but so be it.”

Rogin argued that whether or not Zelensky was baited into an adversarial stance, he should have handled the situation differently.

“Zelensky took the bait, okay? And he shouldn’t have,” Rogin said.

“He made a mistake because as bizarre and horrible as it is that matters of life and death are decided now on the basis of whether or not President Trump likes you… that’s where we are.”

He further revealed that Zelensky had been advised in advance to keep the meeting professional and productive.

“People told him that going in. Just get through the meeting and reestablish U.S.-Ukrainian relations on a strong footing,” Rogin said.

NEW: CNN’s Scott Jennings visibly shocked after the Washington Post’s Josh Rogin agrees with his criticisms of Zelensky during his disastrous Oval Office visit.

Jennings: “All Zelensky had to do today was put on a tie, show up, smile, say thank you, sign the papers, and have… pic.twitter.com/yLWS0qYj0d

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 1, 2025

As the discussion highlighted, Zelensky’s diplomatic approach remains a point of contention, with some arguing that his tactics are making it more difficult for Ukraine to maintain vital U.S. support. The long-term impact of these diplomatic tensions remains to be seen.

100% FREE Gun Law Map CLICK HERE

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.