WASHINGTON/CASTEL GANDOLFO: US President Donald Trump intensified his confrontation with European leaders in an interview with Politico published Tuesday, accusing the continent of being “weak” and “decaying” due to its approaches on immigration and the war in Ukraine.
Trump, who has repeatedly targeted Europe in recent weeks, once again portrayed the region as being on the brink of collapse. In remarks echoing far-right narratives, he claimed European nations were unable to manage migration effectively and were suffering the consequences.
“Most European nations, they’re decaying. They’re decaying,” Trump said during the Monday interview. The 79-year-old president—whose political career has long been tied to hardline anti-immigration rhetoric—dismissed Europe’s policies as disastrous. He argued that European governments were prioritizing political correctness over border control, saying, “They want to be politically correct, and they don’t want to send them back to where they came from.”
His comments follow criticism of his administration’s recently unveiled national security strategy, which alarmed European officials by calling for the encouragement of “resistance” inside the EU against its liberal migration policies.
Tensions Over Allies and Security
When asked whether European countries risked losing their status as close US allies if they did not align with Washington’s direction on immigration, Trump gave an ambiguous response: “It depends.” He again described major European states—including Britain, France, Germany, Poland, and Sweden—as being “destroyed” by migration. He also reignited his feud with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, referring to him as “horrible, vicious, disgusting.”
Trump brushed aside comments from Moscow praising Washington’s new national security strategy, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin would naturally welcome a “weak Europe.” “To be honest with you, he’s getting that,” Trump said. “That has nothing to do with me.”
He further accused European countries of offering too little to resolve Russia’s war against Ukraine. “They talk, but they don’t produce. And the war just keeps going on and on,” he said.
Zelensky Revises Peace Proposal
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday prepared to send revised peace proposals to the United States. Speaking from Italy after meeting Pope Leo XIV, Zelensky said Kyiv was adjusting its negotiating points following consultations with Washington over the weekend.
Zelensky had also travelled to London and Brussels on Monday for discussions with European leaders, as Trump continues to pressure Ukraine to accept a settlement. The US president has recently accused Zelensky of failing to properly review earlier American proposals, some of which Ukraine and its allies viewed as overly favorable to Russia.
According to Zelensky, the original 28-point US plan has now been narrowed down to 20 points. “Ukrainian and European officials are going to work on these 20 points,” he said during an online press briefing. He added that while Kyiv still had concerns about parts of the revised plan, “the issue is not so much with the Americans as with the Russians.”
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