US President Donald Trump has ignited a fresh storm in transatlantic relations after a series of scathing remarks about Europe, its leaders, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. In a wide-ranging interview with Politico published on December 9, 2025, Trump described Europe as a "decaying" group of nations led by "weak" politicians, sharply criticizing traditional American allies over their immigration policies and their approach to the war in Ukraine.
Trump’s comments, which echoed far-right talking points about civilizational decline, come at a particularly sensitive juncture. European capitals are grappling with the fallout from his administration’s newly released National Security Strategy—a document that, according to France 24, calls for "cultivating resistance" within the European Union against liberal migration policies and the political establishment. The strategy has sparked alarm across Europe, with leaders fearing a rupture in the decades-old alliance between the US and its continental partners.
“Most European nations, they’re, they’re decaying. They’re decaying,” Trump told Politico. He went further, saying, “I think they’re weak. But I also think that they want to be so politically correct.” Trump argued that European leaders "don’t know what to do," especially in the face of what he described as a migration crisis. “They’re coming in from all parts of the world,” he said, referencing migrants from the Middle East and Africa. “But they want to be politically correct, and they don’t want to send them back to where they came from.”
According to BBC, Trump’s remarks came just one day after European leaders met in London with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss joint efforts to halt the fighting in Ukraine. The timing of Trump's comments—amid ongoing negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine—has heightened European fears that the US might pull back its support for Kyiv, leaving the continent more vulnerable to Russian aggression.
Trump was unambiguous about his views on the war’s trajectory. “Russia is obviously in a stronger position than Ukraine,” he declared, offering no reassurance to European allies. He criticized Europe’s role in the conflict, telling Politico, “They talk, but they don’t produce. And the war just keeps going on and on.”
On the subject of migration, Trump did not mince words. He singled out cities such as London and Paris, claiming they are “struggling under migration” from the Middle East and Africa. Without tougher border policies, Trump warned, “some European states will not be viable countries any longer.” He specifically targeted London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, calling him a “disaster” and suggesting that immigration had played a role in his election: “He gets elected because so many people have come in. They vote for him now.”
Trump’s criticism extended to several European nations, including Britain, France, Germany, Poland, and Sweden, which he said were being “destroyed” by migration. These remarks, as reported by AFP, have been widely interpreted as a direct challenge to Europe’s political mainstream and a signal that the US may no longer guarantee the continent’s security as it once did.
The president’s tone was equally combative regarding Ukraine’s internal politics. Trump called on Ukraine to hold elections despite the ongoing Russian invasion and questioned whether the country remains a true democracy under President Zelenskyy. “I think it’s an important time to hold an election. They’re using war not to hold an election,” Trump said. “You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.”
Ukraine’s elections, originally scheduled for March 2024, have been postponed under martial law since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Trump’s draft peace plan—which, according to Politico, includes provisions for fresh elections—has reportedly been met with skepticism in Kyiv. Trump alleged that “Ukrainian negotiators loved the US-backed proposal” but claimed that Zelenskyy “had not yet read it.” He added, “It would be nice if he would read it. You know, a lot of people are dying. So it would be really good if he’d read it.”
Trump’s proposed peace plan has raised eyebrows in Europe for echoing several Kremlin demands, including potential territorial concessions by Ukraine—a red line for many European leaders and for Zelenskyy himself. After the London meeting with European leaders, Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s longstanding opposition to handing over land to Russia, underscoring the deep divide between Kyiv and the Trump administration on how to end the conflict.
Trump’s broadside against Europe did not stop at foreign policy. He signaled that he would back European political candidates who align with his own vision for the continent, even if that means offending local sensibilities. “I’d endorse,” Trump said, referencing his previous support for Hungary’s hard-right Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whom he has praised for strict border policies. This stance has drawn a sharp response from European officials, including European Council President António Costa, who urged the White House to respect Europe’s sovereignty and democratic choices, stating, “Allies do not threaten to interfere in the democratic life or the domestic political choices of these allies. They respect them.”
Trump’s interview also touched on a range of US domestic issues, but it was his commentary on Europe and Ukraine that dominated headlines. The president’s remarks have left many European leaders deeply unsettled, fearing a decisive shift in the US approach to the continent’s security and political future. With the war in Ukraine grinding on and migration remaining a flashpoint, Trump’s words have injected new uncertainty into an already fraught transatlantic relationship.
As the dust settles from Trump’s latest salvo, European leaders are left to ponder the future of their alliance with Washington. The path forward appears anything but clear, with old certainties giving way to a period of profound instability and recalibration on both sides of the Atlantic.