EU, NATO stress Ukraine’s need to ‘restore’ relations with US
Day after US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky got into a fiery conversation at the Oval Office, world leaders started extending support to Zelensky, saying that “You are not alone.”
However, on Saturday (March 1), it got quite flipped as Poland President Andrzeg Duda said that the Ukrainian president should “get back to the negotiation table”.
He added, “He can see no other power in the world than the US that could stop Russian aggression on Ukraine.”
However, yesterday, Polish Prime Minister and former president of the European Council Donald Tusk said, “dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone”.
‘Must store relations’
Meanwhile, NATO Chief Mark Rutte said Zelensky must restore relations with Trump and the US.
“You have to find a way, dear Volodymyr, to restore your relationship with Donald Trump and the American administration,” Rutte said.
“Not at liberty to say what was disclosed”, Rutte said, however, he shared that he told Zelensky “we have to respect” what Trump has done for Ukraine so far.
He added that during Trump’s first administration – from 2017 to 2020 – the US approved the sale of the Javelin anti-tank missile system which enabled Ukraine to “fight back” when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
“We really have to give Trump credit,” Rutte said.
The NATO chief further said that he is “friends” with Trump and knows he is “committed” to bringing peace to Kyiv.
Right after the meeting with Trump on Friday, Zelensky immediately held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, followed by a call with the NATO chief.
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico reiterated that his country would not support Ukraine either militarily or financially to continue the war against Russia.
“Ukraine will never be strong enough to negotiate from a position of military strength,” he said.
Meanwhile, Germany’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said that the “unspeakable” row between Trump and Zelensky has “underlined that a new age of infamy has begun”.
She added, “Sadly, this was not a bad dream, but a heavy reality.”
Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said that his government will ask parliament to increase its economic support to Ukraine.
It is “crucial”, he said, adding that the US contributes with Europe to a “lasting peace”.
(With inputs from agencies)
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