Some European leaders reacted to US President Donald Trump calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” and saying that he has done “a terrible job.”

Czech President Petr Pavel, in a statement made on social media platform X, questioned the value of an election in a country that has been resisting the attack of a neighboring nuclear power for 3 years. He emphasized that one fifth of the country’s territories are occupied by invading soldiers and the whole country is under bombardment every day, making it difficult to organize elections. Pavel stated that it would be a great mockery to refer to the President of such a country as a dictator. According to the YLE news agency, Finnish President Alexander Stubb rejected Trump’s comments while attending an event, stating that his country supports the Ukrainian Constitution and the democratically elected President Zelensky. Stubb also noted that the Russia-Ukraine war needs to be discussed with Trump if Russian President Vladimir Putin initiates and achieves what he wants. Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, in an interview with NRK television, described Trump’s comments about Zelensky as “completely false claims,” adding that it is “extremely illogical” to say such a thing.

TRUMP’S “DICTATOR” REMARK
Trump, in a post on the social media platform Truth Social, expressed, “I love Ukraine but Zelensky has done a terrible job. His country is shattered and millions have needlessly died. Zelensky, a dictator who doesn’t hold elections, better hurry up or he will lose his country.” Following this, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned his support for Zelensky as the “democratically elected president of Ukraine” during a phone call. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz characterized US President Donald Trump’s comments about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “wrong and dangerous.” French President Emmanuel Macron, emphasizing their shared goal of ending the war in a social media post, avoided using Zelensky’s name. Instead, Macron expressed their support for Ukraine and the necessity for the Kiev administration to be at the negotiation table.