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Rattled, allies rally behind Ukraine
Ukraine’s European allies, set to gather in London today, rallied behind President Volodymyr Zelensky after Donald Trump threw him out of the White House and accused him of not being “ready” for peace with Russia.
Rattled, allies rally behind Ukraine
Ukraine's European allies, set to gather in London today, rallied behind President Volodymyr Zelensky after Donald Trump threw him out of the White House and accused him of not being "ready" for peace with Russia.
The remarkable Oval Office exchange highlights a tricky balancing act facing Western capitals since Trump's return to office in January: maintaining steadfast support for Zelensky and Kyiv against Russian aggression, while not alienating a famously transactional president who appears increasingly sympathetic to President Vladimir Putin, tolerates little criticism and is upturning decades of transatlantic security alliances.
Stunned by Friday's altercation, which saw Zelensky depart the White House without signing an expected mineral deal, all European leaders rushed to his defence.
"You are not alone," said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, vowed to step up support for Ukraine.
"Ukraine is Europe! We stand by Ukraine. We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor," Kallas said on X. "Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It's up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge."
Ukraine is Europe! … Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It's up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge. — Kaja Kallas, EU's foreign policy chief.
EU leaders also issued a joint statement urging Zelensky to "be strong."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a key Trump ally in Europe, also called for a summit with the US and European nations to discuss the war in Ukraine, saying that division makes the West weaker.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, fresh off his own visit to the White House, said he had spoken to both Trump and Zelensky and vowed "unwavering support" for Kyiv.
Zelensky wrote "Thank you for your support" in individual replies on social media platform X to around 30 messages from European leaders.
Starmer and Zelensky were set to meet in London yesterday afternoon, the prime minister's office said.
Representatives from more than a dozen European countries will convene in the British capital today to focus on shoring up support for "securing a just and enduring peace" in Ukraine, according to Downing Street.
The gathering will also address the need for Europe to increase defence cooperation amid fears over whether the United States will continue to support Nato.
Yes of course [it can be salvaged]. Because it's relations [between] more than two presidents. … It's crucial for us to have President Trump's support NATO.— Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine.
There was swift vocal support too from key US allies outside Europe, including from all other members of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network that are among Washington's most trusted partners.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would "continue to stand with Ukraine."
Australia's prime minister reiterated his country's support for Kyiv, saying it will "continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."
The events that unfolded live at the Oval Office also divided the US by party line.
Democrats accused Trump and Vice President JD Vance of doing Russian leader Vladimir Putin's "dirty work" after they berated Zelensky in front of the world's media.
You start to perceive that maybe Zelensky doesn't want a peace deal. He says he does, but maybe he doesn't, and … it is deeply frustrating for everyone.— Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State.
But Republicans said the US leaders were right to accuse pro-Western Zelensky of lacking gratitude for American support in Ukraine's defence against Russia's invasion.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he is ready to "open the discussion" on a possible future European nuclear deterrent, following a request from Germany's next leader, Friedrich Merz.
Merz has stressed the need for the continent to move quickly to "achieve independence" from the United States on defence matters.
Europe's leaders and officials have been blindsided by a staggering collapse in American support for Ukraine in the past weeks, after almost three years of ironclad backing by the previous administration of Joe Biden. Many still cannot understand why Trump has turned so furiously on Zelensky and conceded key concessions to Putin before even starting talks.
In White House on Friday, the years-long US policy of massive support for Ukraine collapsed in a shouting match.
During the clash, in front of US and international media, Trump and Vance shouted at Zelensky, accusing him of not being "thankful" and refusing to accept their proposed truce terms.
"You don't have the cards right now," Trump said. "You're either going to make a deal or we're out, and if we're out, you'll fight it out and I don't think it's going to be pretty".
Zelensky departed shortly after, with Trump posting on social media that "he can come back when he is ready for peace".
US media reported that Zelensky had been told to leave by senior Trump officials.
Zelensky refused to apologise, telling Fox News, "I'm not sure that we did something bad". He did, however, say he wished the exchange had not taken place in front of reporters.
He also hoped that the relationship between the US and Ukraine could be salvaged.
"Yes of course [it can be salvaged], because it's relations [between] more than two presidents. We have historical ties and strong relations between our people. And that's why I always begin (by thanking) your people from our people. And this is the most important," Zelensky said.
He also said it is "crucial" for Ukraine to have Trump's support.
"It's crucial for us to have President Trump's support," Zelensky said in a series of posts on X yesterday morning. "He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do."
Russia was meanwhile delighted.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev called Zelensky an "insolent pig" who had received "a proper slap down."
Zelensky's Washington trip was a "complete failure", Moscow said.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Zelensky "obsessed" with prolonging the war and said Moscow's goals remained the "demilitarisation" of Ukraine and annexation of all territories currently occupied by Russia.
The meltdown came after Trump said Ukraine will have to make "compromises" in a truce with Russia, which has occupied swaths of the country.
Zelensky said there should be "no compromises with a killer on our territory".
The session then boiled over into Trump and Vance loudly berating the Ukrainian leader, who sat in evident discomfort as his hosts talked over him.
Trump has alarmed Kyiv and European allies with his abrupt U-turn in US policy, casting himself as a mediator between Putin and Zelensky and refusing to condemn the Russian invasion.
He said in the Oval Office that he had "spoken on numerous occasions" to Putin -- more than has been publicly reported.
Meanwhile, Russia's assault on Ukraine continued.
Russian infantry were storming the Ukrainian border from the Russian region of Kursk, near areas that were seized last summer by Ukrainian forces, Kyiv said Friday.
And Moscow yesterday said it had seized two more villages in the south of the eastern Donetsk region.
Ukraine's European allies, set to gather in London today, rallied behind President Volodymyr Zelensky after Donald Trump threw him out of the White House and accused him of not being "ready" for peace with Russia.
The remarkable Oval Office exchange highlights a tricky balancing act facing Western capitals since Trump's return to office in January: maintaining steadfast support for Zelensky and Kyiv against Russian aggression, while not alienating a famously transactional president who appears increasingly sympathetic to President Vladimir Putin, tolerates little criticism and is upturning decades of transatlantic security alliances.
Stunned by Friday's altercation, which saw Zelensky depart the White House without signing an expected mineral deal, all European leaders rushed to his defence.
"You are not alone," said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, vowed to step up support for Ukraine.
"Ukraine is Europe! We stand by Ukraine. We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor," Kallas said on X. "Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It's up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge."
Ukraine is Europe! … Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It's up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge. — Kaja Kallas, EU's foreign policy chief.
EU leaders also issued a joint statement urging Zelensky to "be strong."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a key Trump ally in Europe, also called for a summit with the US and European nations to discuss the war in Ukraine, saying that division makes the West weaker.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, fresh off his own visit to the White House, said he had spoken to both Trump and Zelensky and vowed "unwavering support" for Kyiv.
Zelensky wrote "Thank you for your support" in individual replies on social media platform X to around 30 messages from European leaders.
Starmer and Zelensky were set to meet in London yesterday afternoon, the prime minister's office said.
Representatives from more than a dozen European countries will convene in the British capital today to focus on shoring up support for "securing a just and enduring peace" in Ukraine, according to Downing Street.
The gathering will also address the need for Europe to increase defence cooperation amid fears over whether the United States will continue to support Nato.
Yes of course [it can be salvaged]. Because it's relations [between] more than two presidents. … It's crucial for us to have President Trump's support NATO.— Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine.
There was swift vocal support too from key US allies outside Europe, including from all other members of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network that are among Washington's most trusted partners.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would "continue to stand with Ukraine."
Australia's prime minister reiterated his country's support for Kyiv, saying it will "continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."
The events that unfolded live at the Oval Office also divided the US by party line.
Democrats accused Trump and Vice President JD Vance of doing Russian leader Vladimir Putin's "dirty work" after they berated Zelensky in front of the world's media.
You start to perceive that maybe Zelensky doesn't want a peace deal. He says he does, but maybe he doesn't, and … it is deeply frustrating for everyone.— Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State.
But Republicans said the US leaders were right to accuse pro-Western Zelensky of lacking gratitude for American support in Ukraine's defence against Russia's invasion.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he is ready to "open the discussion" on a possible future European nuclear deterrent, following a request from Germany's next leader, Friedrich Merz.
Merz has stressed the need for the continent to move quickly to "achieve independence" from the United States on defence matters.
Europe's leaders and officials have been blindsided by a staggering collapse in American support for Ukraine in the past weeks, after almost three years of ironclad backing by the previous administration of Joe Biden. Many still cannot understand why Trump has turned so furiously on Zelensky and conceded key concessions to Putin before even starting talks.
In White House on Friday, the years-long US policy of massive support for Ukraine collapsed in a shouting match.
During the clash, in front of US and international media, Trump and Vance shouted at Zelensky, accusing him of not being "thankful" and refusing to accept their proposed truce terms.
"You don't have the cards right now," Trump said. "You're either going to make a deal or we're out, and if we're out, you'll fight it out and I don't think it's going to be pretty".
Zelensky departed shortly after, with Trump posting on social media that "he can come back when he is ready for peace".
US media reported that Zelensky had been told to leave by senior Trump officials.
Zelensky refused to apologise, telling Fox News, "I'm not sure that we did something bad". He did, however, say he wished the exchange had not taken place in front of reporters.
He also hoped that the relationship between the US and Ukraine could be salvaged.
"Yes of course [it can be salvaged], because it's relations [between] more than two presidents. We have historical ties and strong relations between our people. And that's why I always begin (by thanking) your people from our people. And this is the most important," Zelensky said.
He also said it is "crucial" for Ukraine to have Trump's support.
"It's crucial for us to have President Trump's support," Zelensky said in a series of posts on X yesterday morning. "He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do."
Russia was meanwhile delighted.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev called Zelensky an "insolent pig" who had received "a proper slap down."
Zelensky's Washington trip was a "complete failure", Moscow said.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Zelensky "obsessed" with prolonging the war and said Moscow's goals remained the "demilitarisation" of Ukraine and annexation of all territories currently occupied by Russia.
The meltdown came after Trump said Ukraine will have to make "compromises" in a truce with Russia, which has occupied swaths of the country.
Zelensky said there should be "no compromises with a killer on our territory".
The session then boiled over into Trump and Vance loudly berating the Ukrainian leader, who sat in evident discomfort as his hosts talked over him.
Trump has alarmed Kyiv and European allies with his abrupt U-turn in US policy, casting himself as a mediator between Putin and Zelensky and refusing to condemn the Russian invasion.
He said in the Oval Office that he had "spoken on numerous occasions" to Putin -- more than has been publicly reported.
Meanwhile, Russia's assault on Ukraine continued.
Russian infantry were storming the Ukrainian border from the Russian region of Kursk, near areas that were seized last summer by Ukrainian forces, Kyiv said Friday.
And Moscow yesterday said it had seized two more villages in the south of the eastern Donetsk region.
