Editor's note: The story was expanded with comments by Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
A number of European leaders on Feb. 19 reaffirmed their support for President Volodymyr Zelensky after U.S. President Donald Trump accused him of being a "dictator" and espousing false claims about Ukraine.
"Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia's merciless war of aggression for almost three years... And it is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelensky's democratic legitimacy," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on X.
In his post on the Truth Social platform, Trump accused the Ukrainian president of refusing to hold elections and warned that "Zelensky better move fast, or he won’t have a country left."
The U.S. president also falsely claimed that Washington had provided Ukraine with $350 billion in support and that Zelensky had an approval rating of 4%. The Ukrainian president refuted both claims earlier the same day, saying that Trump is trapped in a "disinformation space."
"How do you organize elections with one-fifth of your territory occupied and under daily strikes across the country? Calling the president of such a country dictator requires a great deal of cynicism," Czech President Petr Pavel said.
Kremlin propaganda has pushed the narrative that Zelensky is an illegitimate leader, relying on the premise that his first presidential term was originally meant to end on May 20, 2024.
But Trump's claim ignores the fact that Ukraine's constitution prohibits elections during martial law, which has been in effect since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022. As a result, Zelensky's term has been extended, which constitutional lawyers argue is permitted under Ukrainian law.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who are visiting Washington next week to discuss peace negotiations and support for Ukraine with Trump, also reiterated their support for Zelensky in phone calls.
"The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer) expressed his support for President Zelensky as Ukraine’s democratically elected leader and said that it was perfectly reasonable to suspend elections during wartime as the U.K. did during World War II," the readout of Starmer's call with Zelensky said.
In the wake of Trump's comments, Finnish President Alexander Stubb tried to ease the tension and warned against "hysteria."
"Finland supports Ukraine by all possible means. Finland supports the Ukrainian constitution and the democratically elected President Volodymyr Zelensky," Stubb said.
"The war of aggression was started solely by Russia and (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin. Our job is to have a discussion with Trump about what the consequences are if Putin gets his way."
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani similarly called for calm while distancing his country from Trump's language.
"There are cracks in the relationship between Trump and Zelensky, but it is in our interest that the situation calms down and peace is achieved," Tajani told Radio 24.
Trump's latest comments follow his increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Ukraine. Only a day before dubbing Zelensky a "dictator without elections," he accused Ukraine of starting and continuing the war while praising the U.S.-Russian talks in Saudi Arabia.
Recent statements from Washington have prompted European leaders to seek a united strategy for ensuring Ukraine's continued defense.
European leaders gathered in Paris on Feb. 17 for an emergency summit amid concerns that the U.S. is advancing peace talks with Russia without Europe’s involvement. A broader meeting was held on Feb. 19, after which Macron reaffirmed the "united" stance of France and its allies on Ukraine.
Martin Fornusek
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