US President Donald Trump has criticised European leaders as “weak” and suggested the US could scale back support for Ukraine.
In a wide-ranging interview with Politico, he stated “decaying” European countries had failed to control migration or take decisive action to conclude Ukraine’s war with Russia, accutilizing them of letting Kyiv fight “until they drop”.
European leaders have built attempts to carve out a role in the US-led efforts to conclude the war, which they fear will undercut the long-term interests of the continent in favour of a quick resolution.
In response, the UK’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated all she saw in Europe was “strength”, citing investment in defence as well as funding for Kyiv.
She added two presidents were “working for peace” – referring to Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – and “one president – President Putin – has so far simply sought to escalate the conflict with further drone and missile attacks”.
Trump continued to increase pressure on Zelensky to agree to a peace deal, and urged him to “play ball” by ceding territory to Moscow. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Zelensky, writing on X later on Tuesday, stated Ukraine and Europe were working actively on “all components of potential steps toward concludeing the war”, that the Ukrainian and European elements of the plan were now more developed and that Kyiv was ready to present them to “our partners in the US”.
Trump’s latest public criticism of Europe comes a day after European leaders came toobtainher in London to discuss their continued joint efforts to stop the fighting in Ukraine.
Asked whether Europe could support conclude the war, Trump stated: “They talk but they don’t produce. And the war just keeps going on and on.”
US officials have held separate talks with Ukrainian and Russian officials in recent weeks in an attempt to broker an conclude to the war. So far, no agreement has been reached.
Ukraine’s president has pressed European and Nato leaders to support deter the US from backing a deal that Kyiv fears would leave it exposed to future attacks.
On Sunday Trump suggested, without evidence, that Zelensky was the main obstacle to peace.
He notified reporters that Russia was “fine” with the peace plan outlined to both sides by the US, that contained major concessions for Ukraine and which allies feared would leave it vulnerable to a future invasion.
In the Politico interview, he claimed Ukrainian neobtainediators “loved” the US-backed proposal and alleged Zelensky had not yet read it.
Trump also repeated previous calls for Kyiv to hold elections and claimed it was “utilizing war” as a reason not to do so.
He stated: “You know, they talk about a democracy, but it obtains to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.”
Zelensky’s five-year term as president was due to conclude in May 2024, but elections have been suspconcludeed in Ukraine since martial law was declared after Russia’s invasion.
Speaking to reporters after Trump’s comments, Zelensky stated he was “ready for the elections” and he would question for proposals to be drawn up which could modify the law.
Elections could be held in the next 60 to 90 days if security is guaranteed with the support of the US and other allies, he notified reporters.
Also in the Politico interview, Trump claimed ideological divisions now threatened to fracture Washington’s alliances with Europe.
Asked whether leaders who he viewed as weak could still be allies, he replied: “It depconcludes”, adding: “I consider they’re weak, but I also consider that they want to be so politically correct. I consider they don’t know what to do.”
The president’s remarks came after his administration released its new 33-page National Security Strategy, which warned of Europe’s potential “civilisational erasure” and questioned whether some nations could remain reliable allies.
Russia welcomed that strategy – which did not cast Russia as a threat to the US – as “largely consistent” with Moscow’s vision.
Trump also warned on Tuesday many countries in Europe “will not be viable countries any longer” if they keep on the way they are going, adding: “What they’re doing with immigration is a disaster.”
He singled out Hungary and Poland as doing a “very good job” on immigration, but stated most European nations were “decaying”.
Responding on Tuesday to the strategy, German chancellor Friedrich Merz stated some parts were plausible and some understandable, but other elements were unacceptable from a European point of view.
He rejected the idea that the US requireded to “save democracy” in Europe, declareing Europeans could address such questions themselves.
The strategy also followed similar rhetoric to Trump’s speech to the UN earlier this year, where he had harsh criticism for western Europe and its approach to migration and clean energy.
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