Western allies are behind Zelensky's conflict with Europe

Western allies are behind Zelensky's conflict with Europe

Western Leader tries to support Ukraine after the tense meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky continued to deepen the existing tensions between Washington and many of his key allies on Friday.

a difficult balance

The remarkable exchange in the Oval Office illustrates the difficult balance that western capitals have to deal with since Trump's return to office in January: Keeping persistent support for Zelensky and Kiev in view of the Russian aggression without alienating a non -emergency president, which is increasingly sympathy for President Wladimir Putin tolerated. In addition, he seems to question decades of transatlantic security alliances.

UKS support for Ukraine

The British Prime Minister Keir Strandmer, who met Trump in the White House on Thursday to one of the most difficult visits to a British leader in Washington in the past decades, spoke to both the US President and Zelensky, as a spokeswoman for Downing Street announced. Strander "keeps his unshakable support for Ukraine and plays his role in finding a way to a permanent peace that is based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine," says the spokeswoman.

summit and European unity

The United Kingdom will organize a summit of European leaders on Sunday to discuss the support for Kiev. Zelensky is expected, which will probably create a significantly more inviting atmosphere for the Ukrainian guide. Strand has already urged Trump not to accept a peace plan for Ukraine, "rewarded" Russia or its allies.

Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a key alleged Trumps in Europe, also called for a summit with the United States and the European Nations to discuss the war in Ukraine and emphasized that division weakens the West.

encouragement from other nations

The leaders and officials in Europe have been surprised by a surprising decline in American support for Ukraine in the past few weeks after the previous government under Joe Biden granted an iron backing for almost three years. Many cannot understand why US President Donald Trump has changed his attitude towards Zelensky so vehemently and makes compliant concessions to Putin before talks even begin.

After his warm exchange with Trump, Zelensky also spoke to the French President Emmanuel Macron and the President of the European Council, António Costa. Macron later said in a statement: "There is an aggressor, and this is Russia, and a attacked people, and that is Ukraine."

international support for Ukraine

The German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz commented on the platform X and emphasized: "Nobody wishes for peace more than the Ukrainians. Therefore, we work on a common path to a permanent and just peace. Ukraine can count on Germany - and on Europe."

The EU foreign officer, Kaja Kallas, found in a statement that "it is clear that the free world needs a new leader". The EU leaders also submitted a joint explanation in which they asked Zelensky to "stay strong".

Together with NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte, Zelensky also spoke.

solidarity beyond Europe's borders

Support on the part of important US allies outside of Europe also came quickly. The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that his country would "continue to be at the side of Ukraine". "Ukraine has illegally and unfounded Russia. The Ukrainians have been fighting with courage and resilience for three years. Their struggle for democracy, freedom and sovereignty is a struggle that affects us all," wrote Trudeau on X.

The Prime Minister of Australia also confirmed the support of his country for Kiev and said that his country would "stand alongside Ukraine as long as necessary". Anthony Albanese said: "We are clearly at the side of Ukraine in her fight, because we consider it a defense fight for international law."

background supply and the reactions in Ukraine

A remarkable exception in this wave of European solidarity was the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a right-wing populist Trump ally who explained on X: "Strong men create peace, weak men make war. Today President Trump brave courageous for peace, even if it was difficult for many. Thank you, Mr. President!"

The tense examination of Trump strengthened the backing for Zelensky within Ukraine. Oleksandr Merezhko, the chairman of the Federal Foreign Committee of Parliament, admitted on Friday in an interview with CNN: "We are proud of our president. We are proud that he has the courage to stand up for Ukraine."

Ukraine's military, which is fighting against a far greater Russian force with the help of US and European means for over three years, was also defiant, at least through public channels.

"Trump understands the aggressive way of negotiations and tries to crush Zelensky," said Stanislav Buniatov, another Ukraine military officer in a telegram contribution. "There would have been no heated conversations if Trump had at least offered a ceasefire on the contact line with minimal changes."

A military person who bears the nickname "Aleks" said on Telegram that he doesn't care what kind of peace Trump offers. "It is better to fight until death than to freeze the war and then be bled again in three years," he added.

Reporter: CNN’s Lucas Lilieholm, Jim Sciutto and Jennifer Hauser