European Leaders, Media Outraged At Trump-Zelensky Confrontation
Europe’s political elites and leading media outlets are circling the wagons around Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after his epic exchange with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office Friday.
European leaders, including the European Union Kommissars, were united in their support for Zelensky’s brash conduct inside the Oval Office. “European leaders pledged late Friday to stand by Ukraine in the wake of the contentious Oval Office meeting between” the two leaders,” the Associated Press noted.
This was too much for the delicate European elites to take — coming on the heels of Vance’s wake-up call in Munich. “European leaders already were shaken by Vance’s speech to the Munich Security Conference two weeks ago,” the news agency wrote.
The White House meeting between the two began on an upbeat note, with President Trump complimenting the visiting leader on his make-believe military outfit and expressing an earnest desire to see an end to the carnage after three years of devastating war in Ukraine.
A visibly irritated Ukrainian leader started the heated exchange by rudely talking back to President Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Trump changed his cordial tone after Zelensky’s repeated interruptions and rude interjections.
Dring a 45-minute televised engagement in the Oval Office, Zelensky appeared bored and fidgety while Trump touched on issues of vital importance to his war-ravaged nation and people. A distracted Zelensky was seen incessantly rubbing his nose and scratching his ears throughout the meeting.
Trump used gambling metaphors to describe the reckless behavior of his Ukrainian counterpart. “You don’t have the cards right now,” president reminded. Zelensky was ‘gambling with World War Three,” he warned.
Zelensky had “overplayed his hand,” Trump told reporters after his abrupt departure. In a subsequent tweet he told Zelensky to “Come back when you’re ready for peace.”
European media: Trump, Vance ‘trapped’ and ‘ambushed’ Zelensky
Europe’s leading media outlets pushed a narrative sympathetic to Zelensky, claiming that the unsuspecting Ukrainian leader was ‘trapped and ‘ambushed’ by his American hosts.
“Ukrainians think Trump, Vance ‘laid trap’ for Zelenskyy,” German state TV Deutsche Welle (DW) reported.
This line was parroted across the European media landscape.
“Trump and Vance set up Zelensky for Oval Office ambush,” the British newspaper Independent reported. “In scenes historic in their vulgarity, what resembled a verbal pub brawl broke out with Trump and Vance talking over Zelensky, leaving the Ukrainian president ambushed,” the daily claimed.
“J.D. Vance set a trap for the Ukrainian president, who declined to flatter Donald Trump,” the London-based Economist wrote. “When Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the White House on February 28th the America-Ukrainian relationship was fragile and uncertain. By the time the Ukrainian president left, it was shattered.” the business weekly added.
“Ukrainian politician says Zelensky was ‘attacked’ by Trump,” the BBC echoed.
The falling out between the two leaders could have devastating consequences for Ukraine, as country’s armed forces fight with their backs against the wall amid recent Russian advance.
“Ukraine’s president had been hoping to leave the White House on Friday after positive talks with Donald Trump, capped with the signing of a minerals deal giving the US a real stake in his country’s future, if not an outright security guarantee,” broadcaster observed. “Instead Volodymyr Zelensky faced an extraordinary dressing down in front of the world’s media.”
German weekly Der Spiegel accused the U.S. president of ‘applying the law of the jungle’ in his dealings with Kyiv.
Germany can’t count on the U.S. to outsource its defense needs, Der Spiegel whined. “The spat between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky shows that we are in a new world: the West’s former leading power can no longer be relied on,” the leading German magazine claimed.
Leading German daily: Zelensky puts European ‘security at risk’
There were still a few sane voices in Europe that calling out Zelensky for jeopardizing transatlantic relations. According to Germany’s leading newspaper Die Welt: “Zelensky puts Europe’s security at risk with his behavior.”
In less than ten minutes, an ungrateful Zelensky dismantled years of diplomatic efforts put in by the Europeans on behalf of his country.
“Volodymyr Zelensky’s U.S. visit is turning into a diplomatic debacle. In less than ten minutes next to US President Trump, Zelensky destroyed all of the [diplomatic] contortions performed by the Europeans that had previously given him a good negotiating position,” the daily added.
Germany’s DW TV covered the reaction of European leaders:
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia, [said], “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor.”Shortly after the clash at the White House, leaders from across Europe took to social media to express their support for Zelenskyy.Germany’s outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, “Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians do.” While Germany’s conservative leader Friedrich Merz, Scholz’s likely successor after his party won last Sunday’s general election, posted: “We stand with Ukraine in good and in testing times. We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.”French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Trump this week too, posted on X: “There is an aggressor: Russia. There is a people who are under attack: Ukraine.””Respect to those who, since the beginning, have been fighting. Because they are fighting for their dignity, their independence, for their children and for the security of Europe,” Macron added.Among those who added their voices to the parade of European support for Ukraine were European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, toed the line, sending out a message of reassurance to the Ukrainian leader.
“Dear Volodymyr [Zelensky], we stand with Ukraine in good and in testing times,” he posted on X. “We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.”
Hungary’s Orban: ‘Strong men make peace, weak men make war’
Words of support for the U.S. position came from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has long been calling for a negotiated end to the conflict.
“Strong men make peace, weak men make war,” Orban wrote on X. “Today President [Donald Trump] stood bravely for peace. Even if it was difficult for many to digest. Thank you, Mr.President!”
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