Trump slams European leaders as 'weak' — just as they're trying to impress him

While it's been wide to Europe for immoderate clip that U.S. President Donald Trump is not the biggest instrumentality of the region, the president's latest tirade against the continent's enactment volition sting — peculiarly arsenic the bloc strives to amusement much decisiveness and authority.

Trump has erstwhile again provoked outrage among his European allies, describing them arsenic "weak" and starring a "decaying" portion successful an interrogation with Politico published Tuesday. Criticizing the region's effect to migration and the warfare successful Ukraine, Trump said: "I deliberation they don't cognize what to do."

That remark volition beryllium jarring for Europe aft its efforts successful caller days, weeks and months to enactment Ukraine, beryllium it militarily, diplomatically oregon financially — efforts which Trump has often downplayed.

Instead, Europe has had to ticker connected arsenic U.S. officials person held talks with their Russian and Ukrainian counterparts connected a draught bid program for Ukraine, without a spot astatine the table. That's contempt the information that the solution of the astir four-year warfare — and what signifier that takes — is seen by analysts, and European leaders, arsenic captious for the region's aboriginal security.

Indeed, Trump's comments came conscionable a time aft Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was successful London to conscionable European leaders to sermon associated efforts to extremity the war. The leaders stressed the request for information guarantees for Ukraine successful immoderate bid deal, and expressed their absorption to Ukraine having to cede territory to Russia arsenic portion of an agreement, arsenic has been demanded by Russia.

Trump has vacillated connected the issue, antecedently suggesting Ukraine would person to springiness up onshore and past suggesting Kyiv could triumph backmost mislaid territory.

European leaders this week besides discussed the thorny contented of aboriginal backing for the country, which is simply a bugbear for Trump. The leaders said "positive progress" had been made connected utilizing frozen Russian assets to enactment Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, though specified a determination faces hurdles and absorption from immoderate countries successful the EU.

Trump appeared unmoved by Europe's diplomatic efforts, of late. When Politico asked him whether Europe could assistance extremity the war, helium said: "They speech but they don't produce. And the warfare conscionable keeps going connected and on."

There's nary uncertainty that Trump has a checkered narration with Europe and its leaders, appearing to get connected good with immoderate — specified arsenic the U.K. and Italy's Prime Ministers Keir Starmer and Giorgia Meloni, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte— but not truthful overmuch with others.

Trump has had thing of an awkward "frenemy" narration with French President Emmanuel Macron who helium has some praised and derided, and yet helium has nary earthy rapport with the superior German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump besides appears to person a strained narration with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Belittling his governmental foes is thing caller for Trump, but what's shocking for Europe is that helium appears consenting to relinquish longstanding friends and tested alliances that person been successful spot since World War II.

Europe was already enactment connected announcement past week erstwhile Trump's caller nationalist information strategy stated that Europe risked "civilizational erasure" wrong the adjacent 20 years and questioned whether European countries tin "remain reliable allies." In turn, it said Washington should reestablish strategical stableness with Russia. The Kremlin praised the caller strategy, saying it mostly accorded with Russia's "vision."

The information strategy signals a seismic displacement successful U.S.-European relations, analysts say, and should beryllium a wake-up telephone for Europe.

"Trump's worldview is clear" successful the caller U.S. nationalist information document, Ian Bremmer, laminitis and president of Eurasia Group, commented Tuesday:

"A beardown agreed Europe is simply a threat, not an asset. The Kremlin calls the papers "aligned" with Russian interests. That should marque each NATO superior beryllium up straight," helium said successful comments connected societal media level X.

Bremmer said the transatlantic narration had been the world's strongest up to this point, but that had changed nether the Trump administration.

"President Trump believes a beardown Europe is not successful the U.S.' interests, peculiarly a strong, coordinated Europe. He does not similar the European Union ... His contented is that the EU, together, has the quality to archer Trump things that helium doesn't similar to hear," Bremmer added.