‘Free world needs a new leader’: Europe defends Zelenskyy after Trump attack

BRUSSELS ― European leaders on Friday rallied to defend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after United States President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance subjected him to a tirade of withering and infantilizing abuse in the Oval Office.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”

In what may prove to a significant turning point in the tottering postwar Western alliance between Europe and the United States, the Europeans pushed back against Washington’s increasing alignment with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Trump’s browbeating of Zelenskyy.

“There is an aggressor, which is Russia and a people who have suffered aggression, which is Ukraine,” said French President Emmanuel Macron, hitting back at Trump’s attempts to treat the two sides evenly. “You have to respect those who have been fighting since the beginning because they are fighting for their dignity, their independence, for their children, and for the security of Europe.”

Macron also noted that the U.S. had not been the only country to support Kyiv, stressing that it was also backed by European countries, Canada and Japan.

In the Oval Office, Trump told Zelenskyy his refusal to concede to Russia at the negotiating table was “gambling with World War III.”

Later, Macron told Portuguese television: “If someone is playing World War III, his name is Vladimir Putin.”

Major rift

Germany’s almost-certain next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, struck a similar tone addressing a tweet directly to “Dear Volodymyr in which he vowed to stand with Ukraine “in good and in testing times.”

Over the past weeks, Europe has been steeling itself for a major rift with Washington over Trump’s hectoring treatment of Ukraine and its leader.

While European leaders have been pushing for a comprehensive deal in which the U.S. would offer postwar security guarantees, Trump has resisted such suggestions and has concentrated his efforts on boasting that he can get Ukraine — rather than Russia — to repay America for aid through a deal on critical raw materials.

Leaving little doubt of his preference for Putin over Zelenskyy, Trump slammed the Ukrainian leader as a “dictator” while hailing Russia’s leader as trustworthy. Trump has also adopted the Kremlin’s positions that Kyiv should not join NATO and should give up invaded land.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk sent a message to Zelenskyy insisting, “Dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,” while the office of Sweden’s prime minister said: “You are not only fighting for your freedom but also for all of Europe’s.”

The Czech Republic, Spain, Latvia and Lithuania all sent similar messages of support.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted: “Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President@ZelenskyyUa.” In coordinated communication, the presidents of the European Council and Parliament sent out the same message.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever stressed that his country stood behind Ukraine, saying “their fight is our fight,” while Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp underlined support for Ukraine would come in the form of “whatever it takes, for as long as it takes.”

Italy’s hard-right leader Giorgia Meloni, a close Trump ally, called on Europeans not to allow deep divisions to open up with Washington and said Rome would, in the hours ahead, call for an EU-U.S. summit to get diplomacy back on track.

“What is needed is an immediate summit between the United States, European states, and allies to talk frankly about how we intend to deal with the great challenges of today, starting with Ukraine, which together we have defended in recent years,” she said.

As it is, some European leaders will meet among themselves in London on Sunday at the invitation of U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Zelenskyy is due to join them. A spokesperson for Starmer said he’d spoken to Zelenskyy andTrump on Friday night.

Starmer “retains unwavering support for Ukraine,” the spokesperson said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán took the opposite approach, thanking Trump for standing “bravely for peace.”

“Strong men make peace, weak men make war,” he posted on X.

Rasmus Buchsteiner, Hanne Cokelaere, Max Griera Andreu, Jan Cienski, Hans von der Burchard, Pieter Haeck and Seb Starcevic contributed reporting.