European leaders have defied Donald Trump to leap to the defence of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, after he was savaged by the US president in the White House in scenes that shocked the world.
Nearly 20 world leaders, including British prime minister Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz and his successor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen all declared their unflinching support for the Ukrainian leader after Mr Trump angrily ejected him from the vicious debate.
The US president and his deputy JD Vance aggressively accused Mr Zelensky of gambling with a third world war and millions of lives, claiming he was “disrespectful” and “ungrateful”.
The Ukrainian president was forced to leave the Oval Office without having signed the deal on minerals he had hoped would elicit US security guarantees.
Mr Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart to return only when he wanted peace with Russia, prompting former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to agree with Trump and label Mr Zelensky an “insolent pig” who “finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office.”
Hungary’s Viktor Orban was alone among Western politicians to back Mr Trump after the showdown, writing: “Strong men make peace, weak men make war.”
He claimed President Trump stood bravely for peace “even if it was difficult for many to digest”.
But other European heads of state, rocked by the spectacle, posted their support for Kyiv on X.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The prime minister has tonight spoken to both President Trump and President Zelensky. He retains unwavering support for Ukraine, and is doing all he can to find a path forward to a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine.”
German chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on social media: “Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians do. Therefore we are working on a common path to a lasting and just peace. Ukraine can rely on Germany – and on Europe.”
Friedrich Merz, who is set to take over from Mr Scholz, said Germany stood with Ukraine and that aggressor and victim should never be confused.
French president Emmanuel Macron said: “There is an aggressor: Russia. There is a people being aggressed: Ukraine. We were all right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago and to continue doing so.”
Il y a un agresseur : la Russie.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 28, 2025
Il y a un peuple agressé : l'Ukraine.
Nous avons tous eu raison d'aider l'Ukraine et de sanctionner la Russie il y a trois ans et de continuer à le faire.
Nous, c’est les Américains, les Européens, Canadiens, Japonais et plusieurs autres.…
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told Mr Zelensky: “Your dignity honours the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone. We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.”
Kaja Kallas, vice-president of the European Commission and EU high representative for foreign affairs and security, suggested the US president no longer stood for the free world.
She pledged Europe would step up support for Ukraine so it could continue to fight back against the aggressor, adding: “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”
Conservative former leadership candidate Robert Jenrick said he was sickened by the “degrading spectacle” and shadow security minister Alicia Kearns said: “Performative bullying for a domestic US audience. Just watching the video shamed me to my core.”
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni called for an immediate meeting between the US and Europe to discuss how to deal with the “challenge” of Ukraine.
Washington correspondents reported a senior administration official in the Trump administration as saying they were considering ending all shipments of military aid to Ukraine in response to Mr Zelensky’s remarks in the Oval Office and his “perceived intransigence in the peace process”.
