Trump delivers 'strong words' on Ukraine in call with European leaders

US President Donald Trump stated that he raised the situation in Ukraine "in pretty strong words" during a call with the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, noting that Washington is awaiting further input from its European partners before determining its next course of action.

Trump described the three leaders as "very good leaders, very good friends of mine," and said their discussion centred largely on Ukraine. "And we discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words. And we'll see what happens. I mean, we're waiting to hear answers before we progress," he said, indicating that the US response will hinge on how Europe engages in the diplomatic process.

He added that the European leaders had invited the United States to attend a meeting in Europe over the weekend. "They would like us to go to a meeting over the weekend in Europe. And we'll make a determination, depending on what they come back with," Trump said. When questioned about President Volodymyr Zelensky's participation, he responded that the meeting would be "with Zelensky and us."

Trump's phone call came shortly after he publicly questioned Ukraine's ability to prevail in its nearly four-year conflict with Russia, remarks he made in an exclusive interview with POLITICO published Monday. His comments have added new layers to Washington's evolving approach to the conflict.

Since returning to office, Trump's position on Ukraine has shifted noticeably. During their February meeting at the White House, he told Zelenskyy that he did not "have the cards", signalling scepticism about Ukraine's prospects. Yet by September, he appeared to shift again, voicing support for Kyiv's goal of reclaiming all its territory "in its original form".

Recently, Trump has advanced a peace initiative that would see Ukraine relinquish the entire Donbas region to Russia in exchange for undefined US security commitments. This proposal, along with pressure on Kyiv to accept negotiations, has unsettled Ukraine and its allies as fighting continues.

Reiterating his stance on Wednesday, Trump again noted the tone of his discussion with European leaders, saying, "We discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words, and we'll see what happens. I mean, we are waiting to hear answers before we progress."

He also urged Zelenskyy to "be realistic" and again emphasised his view that elections should be held in Ukraine. Responding to questions about his earlier comments, he said, "And I do say, you know, at what point, when do they have an election in Ukraine? That's not casting aspersions on anybody, but they do have a massive corruption situation going on there, and they do say, you know, when are they, people are asking this question, when do they have an election? Are they gonna have an election? Or are they going to just keep it going like this."

In the same interview, Trump broadened his criticism to European governments, describing them as "decaying" and faulting their immigration and trade policies while arguing that Europe had not done enough to support peace efforts in Ukraine.

"I think they're weak, but I also think that they want to be so politically correct," he said, adding, "I think they don't know what to do. Europe doesn't know what to do.