United States President Donald Trump has intensified tensions with key Western allies, describing Europe as “decaying” and weak in its handling of immigration and the war in Ukraine.
In an interview published Tuesday by Politico, Trump urged Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to conduct elections despite the ongoing Russian invasion, adding that Moscow currently holds the “upper hand.”
His comments follow last week’s release of his administration’s national security strategy, which drew criticism for its sharp tone toward long-standing US partners.
“Most European nations are decaying. They want to be politically correct, and it makes them weak,” the 79-year-old said.
Trump also faulted European governments over their approach to the Ukraine war, amid growing disagreements over Washington’s proposed plan to end the conflict — a plan many European leaders fear could pressure Kyiv into ceding territory to Russia.
European capitals have been working to strengthen relations with Trump since his return to the White House on January 20, particularly on the question of continued US support for Ukraine.
His remarks to Politico are expected to heighten concerns already stirred by the recent US security strategy, which emphasized resisting migration flows into Europe and warned of what it called “civilizational erasure.”
The interview comes shortly after tech billionaire Elon Musk made headlines for remarks calling for the “abolition of Europe.”
