Europeupdated 1h ago3 min read
EU Officials Say Donald Trump Dislikes Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Favors Vladimir Putin
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EU officials say Trump dislikes Zelenskyy and favors Putin on Ukraine. Trump urges Zelensky to strike peace with Putin and questions aid costs.
Trump presses, Europe worries
EU officials told the European Parliament that Donald Trump dislikes Ukraine’s leader too much to push for a fair peace, and Kaja Kallas said the reason Ukraine hasn’t “surrendered on Putin’s terms” so far is because Europe has been providing so much support.
Donald Trump said, “Russia frankly has been fine on Ukraine,” and “They have not been doing that much,” a remark that European officials said confirmed an impression that the U.S. is taking Russia leader Vladimir Putin’s side in the war.
David Lidington said, “I do think it’s a personal thing,” and he linked Trump’s approach to “personal predilections for dictators and autocrats” and “his desire to give opportunities to U.S. businesses.”
A government official who observed both men closely said, “Trump doesn’t like [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy. He just doesn’t like him,” and the official said that makes it harder to get the U.S. to help on peace.
EU diplomats said Trump’s hostility toward Zelenskyy is problematic because “There is a clear consensus across Europe that Putin does not want peace,” and they said Putin “will need to be forced into peace.”
Oslo talks, interceptor pressure
Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Corriere Della Sera that if President Trump “cannot rein Putin,” he should provide long-requested interceptor missiles so Ukraine can protect its energy infrastructure.
Marco Rubio said later Tuesday that Mr. Trump has been “frustrated” by what he described as false accusations that “he is doing things to deliberately harm Ukraine,” and Rubio insisted that nothing had been “deliberately denied to Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy prepared to meet U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Norway on Tuesday, with Jared Kushner expected to join remotely, as the war of words between the two leaders escalated.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Finnish President Alexander Stubb would also join the talks in Oslo, with “the aim to put diplomatic efforts on a more constructive path,” according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
Rubio said in India that “every other country in the world” also wanted Patriots, and he said “It’s probably the most in-demand product right now in the defense field.”
Europe seeks leverage, risks
European leaders responded to earlier U.S.-Ukraine crises with “determined Trump-whispering,” but the same account said this time “things look different” because Zelenskyy has directly accused the U.S. of throttling satellite services in Ukraine. The account said Europe is shifting toward direct channels with Russia, and it described a “growing consensus in European capitals” that leaders can no longer tolerate a situation where only the Americans are talking to Putin. The same account said Russia is believed to be floating a three-way summit between itself, Trump, and Xi Jinping, and it warned that such a format would keep Ukraine and its most important supporters out of the room.
The account said Europe’s approach rests on “support for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia,” and it added that direct European involvement in peacemaking efforts is increasingly seen as a necessity because “it is European money that is keeping Ukraine afloat.” The account said Europe is also trying to become less dependent on America for crucial capabilities, and it cited a partnership between Nokia and Iceye to develop satellite communications networks for military and civilian purposes, with first launches “not expected until 2028.”