Trump criticises 'weak' European leaders over Ukraine and immigration

BBC | 09.12.2025 22:08

US President Donald Trump has criticised European leaders as "weak" and suggested the US could scale back support for Ukraine.

In a wide-ranging interview with Politico, he said "decaying" European countries had failed to control migration or take decisive action to end Ukraine's war with Russia, accusing them of letting Kyiv fight "until they drop".

He argued that Russia held the "upper hand" and urged Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky to "play ball" by ceding territory to Moscow.

In the UK, Downing Street rejected Trump's claim that Europe had failed to act, citing the UK's leadership on sanctions and reiterating support for the US-led peace process.

The president's remarks came shortly after his administration released a 33-page National Security Strategy warning of Europe's potential "civilisational erasure" and questioning whether some nations could remain reliable allies.