"He's in despair": EU leaders did not pressure Zelenskyy over his statements about Trump, according to Politico

Daria Chernysh

Zelenskyy was not allowed to tone down his criticism of Trump

Zelenskyy was not urged to soften his rhetoric regarding Trump. / Office of the President

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not faced pressure from European leaders to "soften his tone" in his statements about Washington. Diplomats acknowledge the critical nature of the situation and are not demanding that Kyiv change its rhetoric.

Politico reported this, citing four European Union diplomats.

The Europeans’ Position

Tensions flared again after Kyiv announced the resumption of strikes on Russian oil refineries. This came shortly after Donald Trump publicly called on the Ukrainian leader to resign.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters in Brussels that reports of pressure being exerted on Zelenskyy are untrue.

One of the four diplomats explained the mood among allies on condition of anonymity.

“What do you expect Zelenskyy to do? He’s desperate, and the situation couldn’t be worse,”
said the EU diplomat.

As a reminder, the Financial Times, citing officials, reported on alleged European plans to advise Kyiv to refrain from public criticism of the White House chief in order to preserve transatlantic relations.

Incidentally, Zelenskyy himself noted during the summit that he finds it easier than with Putin to negotiate with Trump, since in his dialogue with Washington he is able to identify specific topics for constructive discussion.