March 1, 2025 (EIRNS)—The first response of the Europeans to the Feb. 28 blowup between President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy was one of shock. “It’s too fresh to give a serious and considered opinion on it,” a European diplomat [told the Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/02/28/trump-zelenskyy-meeting-russia-peace-deal/) of the Oval Office meeting. “It shifts the tone, but the fundamentals of why we need a peace settlement have not changed.” The diplomat, who was not named, said that while Trump’s “aggression” was striking, Zelenskyy “hit the wrong tone” in publicly challenging him.
EU leaders are trying to rally to Zelenskyy’s side. “Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President Zelenskyy,” tweeted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, reported Axios. The leaders of Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Lithuania, Sweden, and dozens of other EU countries issued similar statements heaping praise on Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people. Zelenskyy—whom Vice President Vance accused of not saying “thank you” during his White House visit—individually thanked each European leader who expressed solidarity with Ukraine.
“We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor,” tweeted the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas. Then she added: “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said: “There is an aggressor: Russia. There is a victim: Ukraine. We were right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago—and to keep doing so.”
Friedrich Merz, presumably the next Chancellor of Germany posted (in English): “Dear Volodymyr Zelenskyy, we stand with Ukraine in good and in testing times. We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.”
