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European leaders have defied Donald Trump to leap to the defence of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, after he was savaged by the US president within the White Home in scenes that shocked the world.
Almost 20 world leaders, together with British prime minister Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz and his successor Friedrich Merz, and European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen all declared their unflinching assist for the Ukrainian chief after Mr Trump angrily ejected him from the vicious debate.
The US president and his deputy JD Vance aggressively accused Mr Zelensky of playing with a 3rd world conflict and thousands and thousands of lives, claiming he was “disrespectful” and “ungrateful”.
The Ukrainian president was forced to leave the Oval Workplace without having signed the deal on minerals he had hoped would elicit US safety ensures.
Mr Trump instructed his Ukrainian counterpart to return solely when he needed peace with Russia, prompting former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to agree with Trump and label Mr Zelensky an “insolent pig” who “lastly bought a correct slap down within the Oval Workplace.”
Hungary’s Viktor Orban was alone amongst Western politicians to again Mr Trump after the showdown, writing: “Robust males make peace, weak males make conflict.”
He claimed President Trump stood bravely for peace “even when it was troublesome for a lot of to digest”.
However different European heads of state, rocked by the spectacle, posted their assist for Kyiv on X.
A Downing Road spokeswoman stated: “The prime minister has tonight spoken to each President Trump and President Zelensky. He retains unwavering assist for Ukraine, and is doing all he can to discover a path ahead to a long-lasting peace based mostly on sovereignty and safety for Ukraine.”
German chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on social media: “No person desires peace greater than the Ukrainians do. Due to this fact we’re engaged on a standard path to a long-lasting and simply peace. Ukraine can depend on Germany – and on Europe.”
Friedrich Merz, who is about to take over from Mr Scholz, stated Germany stood with Ukraine and that aggressor and sufferer ought to by no means be confused.
French president Emmanuel Macron stated: “There may be an aggressor: Russia. There’s a individuals being aggressed: Ukraine. We had been all proper to assist Ukraine and sanction Russia three years in the past and to proceed doing so.”
European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen instructed Mr Zelensky: “Your dignity honours the bravery of the Ukrainian individuals. Be sturdy, be courageous, be fearless. You might be by no means alone. We are going to proceed working with you for a simply and lasting peace.”
Kaja Kallas, vice-president of the European Fee and EU excessive consultant for overseas affairs and safety, steered the US president not stood for the free world.
She pledged Europe would step up assist for Ukraine so it might proceed to struggle again towards the aggressor, including: “At the moment, it grew to become clear that the free world wants a brand new chief. It’s as much as us, Europeans, to take this problem.”
Conservative former management candidate Robert Jenrick stated he was sickened by the “degrading spectacle” and shadow safety minister Alicia Kearns stated: “Performative bullying for a home US viewers. Simply watching the video shamed me to my core.”
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni referred to as for a right away assembly between the US and Europe to debate learn how to take care of the “problem” of Ukraine.
Washington correspondents reported a senior administration official within the Trump administration as saying they had been contemplating ending all shipments of army support to Ukraine in response to Mr Zelensky’s remarks within the Oval Workplace and his “perceived intransigence within the peace course of”.
