Trump Says He Exchanged ‘Strong Words’ With European Leaders Over Ukraine Strategy

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday acknowledged that he had “pretty strong words” during a phone call with the leaders of France, Britain, and Germany as transatlantic tensions deepen over how to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said he clashed with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the next steps on Ukraine, suggesting disagreements over a proposed US plan to end the war.

“We discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words,” Trump said when asked about the call.

“I think we had some little disputes about people, and we’re going to see how it turns out,” he added. “They would like us to go to a meeting over the weekend in Europe, and we’ll make a determination depending on what they come back with. We don’t want to be wasting time.”

Trump, who has been pressing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept Washington’s proposal, recently accused Zelensky of not reading the plan. But Ukrainian officials told AFP on Wednesday that Kyiv had already sent an updated draft to the US.

The initial American proposal — which reportedly called for Ukraine to cede territory not currently occupied by Russia — was rejected by Kyiv and its European allies as overly accommodating to Moscow’s demands. A revised version is now under discussion.

Last week’s talks between US officials and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin also failed to produce a breakthrough.

Trump’s remarks come amid widening tensions with Europe, after he described the continent as “decaying” and “weak” on immigration and Ukraine. His comments followed a new US national security strategy warning that Europe risked “civilizational erasure.”

Trump also hinted again that he might distance the US from the conflict, which he blames on former President Joe Biden and has previously claimed he could resolve within 24 hours of taking office.

“Sometimes you have to let people fight it out and sometimes you don’t,” Trump said. “But the problem with letting people fight it out is yet you’re losing thousands of people a week. It’s ridiculous. The whole thing is ridiculous.”

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