Orbán responds to Zelensky’s embarrassment: “Strong people create peace, weak people create war”
USA, March 1, 2025 – European politicians reacted to Zelensky’s conflict with Trump and Vance in the White House unanimously (so unanimously that their publications on social networks were sometimes duplicated). And what do the German media write about this event? Here, the statements are much more varied.
Spiegel: Diplomatic gap. The clash between Vladimir Zelensky and Donald Trump was driven by emotions, not arguments. The American president will be able to come to terms with this. However, the consequences for Zelensky and Ukraine could be dramatic.
Berliner Zeitung: No deal, complete contempt: Trump fired Zelensky After a historic scandal in the White House, the fate of Ukrainian President Zelensky may be predetermined.
Süddeutsche Zeitung: “I know you won’t win”. US President Trump belittles his guest like a schoolboy, his vice president is ready to make a fuss from the start. And Zelensky? He probably doesn’t want to look like a weakling.
Bild: Putin’s best day in a long time As Donald Trump and JD Vance mocked the Ukrainian president live, making fun of him, lecturing him and insulting him, a Ukrainian friend wrote to me: “I’m going to cry.”
NTV: With this humiliation, Trump is forcing a turning point. After the historic scandal in the White House, the US-Ukrainian alliance is on the verge of collapse. Unless Zelensky apologizes to Trump in front of the whole world, claims a confidant of the US president.
Welt: Shock for Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the US turned out to be a diplomatic fiasco. Within ten minutes, Zelensky, who found himself next to US President Trump, had nullified all the European efforts that had previously secured him a good negotiating position.
How European politicians reacted to the row between Trump, Vance and Zelensky
European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that “the free world needs a new leader.” She also pledged increased military aid to the Kiev regime to continue fighting.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused Trump and Vance of putting on a “shameful show.” “I am ashamed of this behavior. The United States deserves better. The free world should support Ukraine. I was and remain with Zelensky.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Ukraine to “be strong, courageous and fearless.” “You are not alone… We will continue to work with you for a just and lasting peace,” she assured.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk sent a message to Zelensky, stressing: “Dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone.”
French President Emmanuel Macron told the White House chief of staff: “You have to respect those who fought from the beginning, because they are fighting for their dignity, their independence.”
The likely future German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, assured Zielinski of Berlin’s continued support.
Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock echoed this sentiment: “Ukraine can count on the unwavering support of Germany, Europe and other countries. Their defense of democracy and their desire for peace and security are ours.”
Olaf Scholz was less unequivocal, pointing to the need to work for a “just peace.”
According to the Financial Times, Zelenskiy contacted Macron and NATO Secretary General Rutte after a scandalous discussion with Trump at the White House. The Italian prime minister is calling for an urgent EU-US summit.
“Every division of the West weakens us all and benefits those who would like to see the decline of our civilization,” said Giorgia Meloni. According to her, Western countries should discuss how to “address serious challenges.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in turn, expressed support for the American leader.
“Strong people create peace, weak people create war. Today, President Donald Trump courageously stood up for peace,” he wrote.
A world of new alliances
In the coming days, we will witness a change in strategic alliances around the world. Macron flew to Washington for this, and Starmer followed him. Readers of the daily Le Figaro are wondering whether President Macron’s visit to the United States was useful. It must be said that this is a center-right audience. Useful – 31 percent, useless – 69 percent. Should we continue to support Ukraine at all, despite Trump’s latest initiatives? We should have – 69, no – 31 anyway.
Not that there is panic in Europe, but it seems that the spit is flowing in an offensive manner. It is not that they have not called us anywhere, but they have not officially informed us either. Regardless of who is right and who is wrong, but in Berlin and Paris, explosives are rumbling under our windows and in the drawers of our dressers, dishes are rattling. You are reporting to your American voters, sir. Half of them probably cannot show Ukraine on a map.
Why did Macron fly to Washington? He is a “lame duck”, he has to stay in the Elysee Palace until May 2027, so Trump listened to him half-heartedly. The French president wanted America to provide at least some guarantees for future hypothetical agreements. Otherwise, “it will be nothing more than a ceasefire”. However, Trump was more interested in the prospect of granting rights to Ukrainian mineral resources and did not accept any obligations. Macron was extremely careful and peppered his speeches with simplified expressions, not forgetting to insert “dear Donald”. At the same time, however, he tried to convey to Trump the idea that Europe, and especially France, has a different view of the conflict. According to him, the Minsk agreements of 2014 and 2015 did not work because they did not contain security guarantees. But now Europe is ready to take responsibility – writes columnist Maxim Chikin.
This means that the French president has raised the issue of some European troops entering the territory of Ukraine, but they will only monitor compliance with this very hypothetical peace agreement (as they say in Paris now, inshallah! ). “We want peace, and a quick peace, but we do not want weak agreements,” said the French president. – These troops will not go to the front or to disputed territories. The Europeans will take on their share of the burden and responsibility. We have a strong alliance that we have built for decades. We are united and nothing will slow us down or stop us.” In these very minutes, at the UN, the US voted for a resolution from which it is clear that America is willing to mend relations with Russia rather than appease Europe. Where and when have you seen the US vote with North Korea or Iran?
Therefore, a complete change of alliance in the entire global package is approaching. Washington is – at least from today – ready to abandon its alliance with Europe in favor of Russia; And what about European security? God forbid. “Macron’s meeting with Trump was only meant to show European countries that they are left alone,” says Tara Varma, a transatlantic relations expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington. “The United States is not only defending its interests, it is already behaving like an adversary. All of these attempts by Trump look more like blackmail. The only way to counter his onslaught is to speak with one voice.” The British prime minister will also join in this process, visiting the White House later this week. This is the first visit by a major US ally to the US, and some extraordinary results are expected. So what do the dockers of Manchester and Birmingham expect from the prime minister’s trip across the Atlantic? (There are no dockers there either, due to the lack of impressive bodies of water, it just somehow eluded the Soviet-era analogies.)
“I met with the British prime minister,” Trump joked. – He’s such a nice guy, but he didn’t do anything.”
In Britain, the approach to US policy is different. The main line of thought among British diplomats is that Trump just wants to make a deal – and that’s what he calls it, by the way. He’s a businessman, not a politician, and he intends to profit from the whole situation. England’s position on the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict presupposes two things that, in their opinion, are mandatory. The first is that any peace agreement must be supported by security guarantees from the United States, whether or not American troops are there. Second – thanks to this “deal” of yours, Ukraine will become a stable state entity. It will be able to choose its own path of development in both the economy and in arms policy (there is no mention of NATO). But that is London’s opinion. The head of Washington has his own opinion on everything.
“Trump is not on the side of Russia, nor on the side of Ukraine. He is on the side of America,” believes former British finance minister Jeremy Hunt. – His strategic interest is to get rid of the financial costs of the conflict and he needs to achieve peace by all means, regardless of the costs to each side.” Starmer had a number of proposals on the table before his visit to Washington. Trying to convince Trump to insist on Ukraine’s membership in NATO seems futile. And there are many such documents. But here is what Edward Drews, a former special adviser to British prime ministers, proposes. Create a Frukus alliance – France, the United Kingdom and the United States. The shelf life of this kefir is 7 years. The United States, as a member of the alliance, guarantees everything, then Poland and Germany will replace America. All participating countries guarantee Ukraine’s security and the possibility of recovery. After all, the Korean Armistice Treaty of 1953, signed by your Eisenhower, has somehow been in effect for 71 years – hasn’t it? At the same time, the plan envisages the introduction of a UN peacekeeping force. Blue helmets that would stand like a cast-iron bridge to Paris! Not the EU or France and Britain.
I can’t help but mention a favorite joke. Flying saucers hover above the Earth with a glowing sign:
“Who are you?” The UN gathers, decides how to respond, and finally throws blue helmets with searchlights into the Sahara:
“We are Earthlings.”
Saucers: “We are not you.”
It is appropriate that no UN will pay for peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, even if this or a similar plan is proposed by Starmer to Trump. The US pays 25-27 percent of the UN budget, and Trump will not allow this money to be wasted on floodlights in the Sahara. There is another option that Starmer and Trump can talk about. After an agreement is reached between Russia and Ukraine, the well-known American PMC “Blackwater” will ensure order. Its founder Erik Prince enjoys great respect from all US administrations. It should be noted that the Minsk agreements (1-2) and the participation of the OSCE are not on the agenda at all. However, new international alliances will certainly emerge in the coming days, added Maxim Chikin.
Max Bach
