Trump brands European leaders ‘weak’ amid Ukraine and migration disputes

Shiva K Dhakal
national Press Corporation(NPC)
united Kingdom—US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised European leaders, calling them “weak” and accusing them of failing to take decisive action on Ukraine and migration.

In an interview with Politico, the president said Europe was “decaying” and had “let Kyiv fight until they drop”, suggesting the US could scale back its support for Ukraine unless European nations “took responsibility”. He claimed Russia now held the “upper hand” in the war and urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “play ball” by considering territorial concessions to Moscow.

Downing Street dismissed Trump’s comments, highlighting the UK’s “clear leadership” on sanctions against Russia and reaffirming its support for ongoing international efforts to secure peace. A spokesperson insisted Europe had been “decisive and united”.

Trump warned that deepening ideological divides risked weakening longstanding alliances. Asked whether he could still consider European leaders as allies, he responded: “It depends,” adding that many were “too politically correct” and “don’t know what to do”.

His remarks come as he increases pressure on Kyiv and its partners to bring the conflict to a negotiated end. They also follow the release of his administration’s 33-page National Security Strategy, which raised concerns about Europe’s potential “civilisational erasure” and questioned the reliability of some US allies.

Russia has welcomed the new strategy, calling it “largely consistent” with Moscow’s worldview. The document mirrors Trump’s earlier speech at the United Nations, where he strongly criticised Western Europe’s approach to migration and clean energy.