European leaders strongly backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 19 after U.S. President Donald Trump accused him of being a "dictator" and falsely claimed Ukraine was refusing to hold elections.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Trump's remarks as "wrong and dangerous," stressing in an X post that Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia’s invasion for nearly three years.
According to the Kyiv Independent, other European leaders also made it clear that Zelensky remains Ukraine’s rightful president under its constitution, which does not allow elections during martial law.
Trump made his claims in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he also said that the U.S. had given Ukraine $350 billion in aid and that Zelensky’s approval rating had dropped to 4%.
Zelensky quickly denied both claims, saying Trump was being misled by false information.
Czech President Petr Pavel also rejected Trump’s accusations, pointing out that Ukraine is under attack, with one-fifth of its territory occupied by Russia and daily missile strikes. “Calling the leader of a country in this situation a dictator is deeply cynical,” Pavel said.
Macron and Starmer Show Support for Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, both scheduled to meet Trump in Washington next week for talks on Ukraine, reaffirmed their support for Zelensky.
During a phone call, Starmer told Zelensky that it was “completely reasonable” to postpone elections during wartime, just as the U.K. did in World War II.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb tried to calm tensions but made it clear that Finland fully supports Ukraine and its elected leadership. “Russia and Putin started this war, and our focus should be on the consequences if Putin gets what he wants,” Stubb said.
Growing Concerns Over Trump’s Ukraine Stance
Trump’s latest comments add to his increasingly critical attitude toward Ukraine. Just a day before calling Zelensky a “dictator,” he suggested that Ukraine was responsible for prolonging the war and praised recent U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia.
Fearing that Washington may be making decisions without consulting Europe, leaders have been working on a united strategy. Macron hosted a meeting in Paris on February 17 to discuss concerns that the U.S. might push for a peace deal without involving its European allies.
After another meeting on February 19, Macron said France and its allies remain fully committed to Ukraine’s defense, making it clear that European support will not waver, no matter what changes in U.S. policy.
