Trump’s Zelenskyy tirade proves too much for European leaders to stomach

European leaders have tried to avoid getting into arguments with U.S. President Donald Trump since his reelection. That approach is being tested following his verbal attack on Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The U.K. and EU countries, save for a few stragglers, have been united in their military, financial and rhetorical support of Ukraine and its leader since Russian tanks rolled over the border three years ago. There’s no sign that will change, even if it now means confrontation with Trump, who is embracing Russia, berating Zelenskyy and trying to force him to hold an election.

“It is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelenskyy’s democratic legitimacy,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday night.

While Scholz didn’t call out the U.S. leader by name, there’s no doubt who he was slapping down when he said: “Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the elected head of state of Ukraine. The inability to hold regular elections in the midst of war is in line with the Ukrainian constitution and electoral laws. No one should claim otherwise.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has had almost nothing but warm words for Trump since he reentered the White House, to try keep the so-called special relationship alive.

But Ukraine is something of a red line. Starmer called Zelenskyy on Wednesday night and, according to a readout released by Downing Street, told the Ukrainian president that he supports him “as Ukraine’s democratically elected leader and said that it was perfectly reasonable to suspend elections during war time as the U.K. did during World War II.”

In an olive branch to Trump, the No. 10 statement did say Starmer “reiterated his support for the U.S.-led efforts to get a lasting peace in Ukraine that deterred Russia from any future aggression.”

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who’s clashed with Trump over his insistent warnings he could acquire the Danish territory of Greenland, said she didn’t understand the U.S. president’s “attack” on Zelenskyy, local media reported. “Zelenskyy is a democratically elected and otherwise unusually capable political leader in Europe,” Frederiksen was quoted as saying.

“It is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelenskyy’s democratic legitimacy,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. | Johannes Simon/Getty Images

Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also emphasized that Ukraine’s leader is democratically elected, while Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre said Trump’s comment about Zelenskyy being a dictator was “deeply unreasonable.”

France’s Emmanuel Macron stayed in flattery mode. Emerging from a meeting with other European leaders — into which Trump tossed a grenade with his diatribe against Zelenskyy — Macron said in a social media post: “We share President @realDonaldTrump’s goal of ending Russia’s war of aggression for almost three years.”

It follows Macron’s “friendly” conversation with Trump ahead of crisis talks that he convened with Europe’s most influential leaders as the White House shut Europe and Ukraine out of peace talks with Russia, and precedes a visit to Washington next week.

Behind closed doors across Europe, however, concerns are growing about Trump’s direction of travel regarding Russia.

A German official, who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive developments, told POLITICO he took Trump’s comments as a sign of frustration that a quick peace deal has eluded his administration. 

“Gruesome,” said a second German official. “It’s getting darker every day. Some of the senators gave me some hope in Munich [at the Security Conference]. But I guess they are afraid of Trump.”