U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 2 that the U.S. should "spend less time worrying about Putin," and instead focus on immigrants who engage in a range of alleged criminal behavior.
"We should spend less time worrying about Putin, and more time worrying about migrant rape gangs, drug lords, murderers, and people from mental institutions entering our country — so that we don’t end up like Europe!" he said in a post on Truth Social.
The post comes just days after the U.S. under Trump's administration welcomed Andrew and Tristan Tate — social media influencers accused of rape, human trafficking, and money laundering — into the country from Romania where they were under criminal investigation.
Trump's comments are the latest instalment of a widening gulf between the U.S., and Ukraine and its European allies.
His public spat with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House on Feb. 28 upended plans to sign a natural resources treaty between the two countries.
The leaders of France and the U.K. visited the U.S. last week to convince Trump to play a role in Ukraine's post-war stability, but their diplomatic efforts were overshadowed by the unprecedented and televised quarrel in the White House.
The humiliating treatment Zelensky received from Trump and Vice President JD Vance prompted Europe's leaders to speak out in support of the Ukrainian president.
At the same time, some European officials have appealed to Zelensky to mend ties with Trump to ensure continued U.S. engagement.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
