Donald Trump launched a verbal attack on the UK and the rest of Europe, calling it a “decaying” group of nations with “weak” leaders. Robert Moore in Washington reports
US President Donald Trump has accused European leaders of being “weak”, describing the UK and Europe as a “decaying” group of nations as he hit out at them over immigration and Ukraine.
In an interview with Politico at the White House on December 8, Trump, the US president accused European allies of what he said was a failure to tackle immigration.
He also criticised European leaders for failing to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, as he turned up the pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sign a US-led peace deal with Moscow.
Trump, while claiming Europe was “not producing” on the work towards a peace deal in Ukraine, even suggested the US may walk away from the negotiating table.
His comments came after a US national security document questioned whether European nations could remain “reliable allies” to the US.
Trump said: “I know the good leaders. I know the bad leaders. I know the smart ones. I know the stupid ones… but they’re not doing a good job. Europe is not doing a good job in many ways… And they’re not producing.
“We’re talking about Ukraine. They talk, but they don’t produce. And the war just keeps going on and on. I mean, four years now it’s been going on, long before I got here.”
Downing Street dismissed suggestions that Europe has not “produced anything” in terms of progress on Ukraine.
A spokesman said: “I would reject that in terms of, you’ve seen the number of countries involved in the coalition of the willing discussions, you’ve also seen the work the UK has done in terms of leading the response on sanctions, including against the shadow fleet, but we strongly support the US peace process.”
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper hit back at Trump’s comments about Europe, saying she sees “strength” in its countries.
“What I see in Europe is strength, and the strength and commitment to support Ukraine and also strength to step up to the plate,” she said on Tuesday.
Sticking points remain in US-led efforts to broker a truce, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterating his refusal to give up any territory to Russia.
“Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories. We, clearly, don’t want to give up anything. That’s what we are fighting for,” he said on Monday.
In the Politico interview, Trump, who was named as the most influential person shaping Europe as part of the annual Politico 28 list, said Kyiv needed to “play ball”.
“Russia has the upper … upper hand. And they always did. They’re much bigger. They’re much stronger in that sense. I give the people of Ukraine and the military of Ukraine tremendous credit for the bravery and for the fighting and all of that.
“But you know, at some point, size will win, generally. You take a look at the numbers, I mean, the numbers are just crazy.”
The Trump administration’s plan for peace includes the suggestion that Kyiv must give up control of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine to Russia, which illegally occupies most but not all of the territory.
Ukraine and its European allies have rejected the idea of handing over land to Russia.
Trump has suggested the Ukrainian leader accept the American proposal, and argued Moscow retained the “upper hand”.
He said on Monday: “I give the people of Ukraine and the military of Ukraine tremendous credit for the, you know, bravery and for the fighting and all of that.
“But you know, at some point, size will win, generally.”
As talks continued, Russia and Ukraine continued to strike each other.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 110 drones across the country overnight.
Several regions of Ukraine faced emergency blackouts on Tuesday due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, according to Ukraine’s national energy operator.
Ukraine, in turn, continued its drone attacks on Russia. Russia said its air defences destroyed 121 drones in various regions and in the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
In Chuvashia, a region about 900 kilometres northeast of the border with Ukraine, the attack damaged residential buildings and injured nine people, Gov. Oleg Nikolayev said.
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