"Absurdity and cynicism." How Europe responds to Trump's attacks on Zelensky.

Leaders of Western countries condemned Donald Trump's remarks about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They do not consider the latter a "dictator."

RBK-Ukraine has gathered statements from Europeans who unanimously support Zelensky.

Germany

One of the first to condemn Trump's remarks about the Ukrainian president was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who stated that "it is simply wrong and dangerous to deny the democratic legitimacy of President Zelensky."

"It is true: Volodymyr Zelensky is the elected head of state of Ukraine," he told Spiegel.

Scholz added that the fact that the next elections cannot take place amid war aligns with the requirements of the Ukrainian Constitution and electoral legislation.

"No one should claim otherwise," Scholz asserted.

The Chancellor reminded that it is Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, that initiated the war in Ukraine.

"Ukraine has been defending itself against relentless Russian aggression for almost three years. Day after day," he clarified.

Also voicing her opinion was German Foreign Minister Annalen Baerbock, who described Trump's comments as "absurd."

"If you look at the real world, and not just tweet something, you know who in Europe has to live under dictatorship: the people in Russia, the people in Belarus," she said in an interview with ZDF.

Baerbock emphasized that the people of Ukraine and their government are fighting daily for their free democracy.

"And we support them as Europeans on their path to the European Union. Together, we can protect our democracies in Europe," she added.

Norway and Finland

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre also reacted to Trump's comments about Zelensky, deeming them "deeply unfounded."

"I think this (Trump's statement) is deeply unfounded and baseless. This is a democratically elected president with an overwhelming majority of votes, caught in the midst of a full-scale war," he noted.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb also disagreed with Trump's view on Zelensky.

"Finland supports Ukraine in every possible way. Stubb emphasized that Finland supports the Ukrainian constitution and the democratically elected president Volodymyr Zelensky," he stated.

Stubb, like Scholz, reminded that the aggressive war was initiated solely by Russia and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

"Our task is to discuss with Trump what the consequences will be if Putin gets what he wants," said Stubb.

Czech Republic

Meanwhile, Czech President Petr Pavel, rejecting Trump's assertion about Zelensky, questioned what the value of elections would be in a country that has been resisting aggression from a neighboring nuclear power for three years.

"How can elections be organized when a fifth of the territory is occupied by occupying forces, and the entire country is under daily shelling? To call the president of such a country a dictator shows a high degree of cynicism," he noted on social media X.

United Kingdom

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer supports Zelensky as a "democratically elected leader" and refutes Trump's idea of holding elections.

"The Prime Minister expressed his support for President Zelensky as the democratically elected leader of Ukraine and stated that it is quite reasonable to suspend elections in wartime, as the UK did during World War II," the press release following the British Prime Minister's conversation with Zelensky states.

Additionally, Starmer reiterated his support for US-led efforts to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine that would "deter Russia from any future aggression."

Leader of the British Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch made her stance clear: "President Zelensky is not a dictator."

"He is the democratically elected leader of Ukraine who courageously stands against Putin's illegal invasion. Under my leadership and that of future Conservative Prime Ministers, we have been and will always be with Ukraine," she asserted.

At the same time, she added that President Trump is right that Europe must contribute - and that includes the UK.

"We need to be serious. I will support the Prime Minister in increasing defense spending - he has a fully funded plan on his desk that should bring it to 2.5%. That should be the minimum level," Badenoch noted.

She also advised Prime Minister Keir Starmer to "get to work, board a plane to Washington, and demonstrate leadership."

"We cannot afford to make a mistake," Badenoch assured.

Zelensky's Reaction

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not overlook such support from Western partners.

"Thank you for your support!" - wrote he.

Trump's Statements about Zelensky

Last week, Trump had a phone conversation with Putin. After their call, Trump spoke with Zelensky, and the war in Ukraine was discussed, particularly at the Munich Security Conference, and later at an emergency meeting of the European Union in Paris.

On February 19, Trump called Zelensky a "dictator without elections" and "slashed" his rating to 4%, although, according to the latest poll, it remains at 57%.

It is important to note that Russian narratives in Trump's statements began to emerge after his meeting with Russians in Saudi Arabia.