EU, France, UK, Germany, other allies offer support to Ukraine while Hungary and Russia defend the US president.
European leaders threw their support behind Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky after a raised-voice spat on Friday with Donald Trump sent shockwaves across the world, casting doubts over efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
The US president openly berated Zelensky for not being “thankful”, and later accused the Ukrainian leader of “not being ready for peace” and having “disrespected” the United States in the “cherished Oval Office”.
Here are some of the political reactions from around the world.
EU: ‘new leader’
European Union chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa assured Zelensky that he was “never alone”.
“Be strong, be brave, be fearless,” wrote the European commission and council presidents in a joint statement on social media, telling Zelensky: “We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.”
The bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas questioned the United States leadership of the transatlantic alliance between European powers and Washington.
“Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge,” she wrote on social media.
France: Russia the ‘aggressor’
French President Emmanuel Macron said that Russia was the “aggressor” in the Ukraine war.
“There is an aggressor which is Russia. There is an aggressed people which is Ukraine,” Macron told journalists, adding: “We were all right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago and to continue to do so.”
He later went further to say that “if anyone is playing at World War III, it’s Vladimir Putin”, referring to Trump’s accusations against Zelensky.
Germany: don’t ‘confuse’
Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz assured his support to Zelensky in a post on X.
“We must never confuse the aggressor and the victim in this terrible war,” Merz said. The outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz also voiced support for Ukraine, as did Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who added that Kyiv’s “quest for peace & security is ours”.
Hungary: Trump stood for ‘peace’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of the closest partners of both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, thanked Trump for standing “bravely for peace”.
“Strong men make peace, weak men make war,” Orban wrote in a post on X.
Italy: summit needed
Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni called for the United States, Europe and their allies to gather over the Ukraine war “without delay”.
“A summit without delay is needed… to talk frankly about how we intend to tackle today’s major challenges, starting with Ukraine, which together we have defended in recent years,” she said.
Netherlands: support ‘undiminished’
“Dutch support for Ukraine remains undiminished. Especially now,” PM Dick Schoof said on X, adding “we want lasting peace and an end to the war of aggression that Russia has started.”
Poland: ‘not alone’
Staunch Kyiv ally Poland moved to reassure Ukrainians after the dispute.
“Dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,” Polish PM Donald Tusk said on X in a post addressed to Zelensky.
Spain: ‘stands with’ Ukraine
Spain’s PM Pedro Sanchez said his country would stand by war-torn Ukraine after the row.
“Ukraine, Spain stands with you,” Sanchez, a staunch backer of Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion who pledged one billion euros of aid in a visit to Kyiv this week, wrote on X.
Russia: ‘cocaine clown’ Zelensky
“For the first time, Trump told the truth to the cocaine clown’s face,” said former president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, referring to Zelensky.
Kirill Dmitriev, one of Moscow’s negotiators in the first high-level talks between Russian and US officials since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine, branded the spat between the two leaders as “historic”.
UK: ‘unwavering support’
British PM Keir Starmer stood with most European leaders to echo his support for Ukraine ahead of hosting Zelensky this weekend.
Starmer “is doing all he can to find a path forward to a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine”, a Downing Street spokeswoman said, adding he spoke to both leaders in the aftermath of the White House meeting.
Ukraine: ‘not possible’
Ukraine’s PM Denys Shmygal said Zelensky was “right” as “peace without guarantees is not possible”.
“Ceasefire without guarantees is the way to Russian occupation of the entire European continent,” Shmygal wrote on X.
Army chief Oleksandr Syrsky, who rarely makes political statements, also spoke out affirming the armed forces stood behind Zelensky, while calling for unity.
US Democrats: Trump ‘doing Putin’s work’
Senate Democrats accused Trump and his Vice President JD Vance of siding with Putin.
“Trump and Vance are doing Putin’s dirty work,” Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer posted on social media.
Other Ukrainian allies
Other Ukrainian allies rallied around the country, with Canada saying Kyiv was not only fighting for its freedom but also “ours”.
Denmark described its “pride” in supporting Ukraine while Sweden referred to Ukrainians as “friends”.
Header Image: US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Feb 28, 2025. — AFP
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