The inconclusive summit between Trump and Putin has been met with dismay and astonishment by European politicians, with only the Hungarian president believing that the major powers of the US and Russia are on the right track.
Most reactions came from Eastern European countries, which have supported a strong Western response to Putin.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky expressed support for Trump’s efforts toward peace but warned against falling for Kremlin propaganda.
“The problem is Russian imperialism, not Ukraine’s desire to live freely. … If Putin were serious about peace talks, he would not have been attacking Ukraine all day today,” Lipavsky wrote on X.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė criticized Putin’s remarks urging Ukraine and the EU not to “sabotage” the talks.
“More gaslighting and veiled threats from Putin. A war criminal with a history of poisoning his critics addresses the US President with, ‘Very good to see you in good health and to see you alive,’” she said.
Only the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed the summit.
“For years, we have watched the two biggest nuclear powers dismantle the framework of their cooperation and shoot unfriendly messages back and forth. That has now come to an end. Today the world is a safer place than it was yesterday,” Orban, a rare pro-Kremlin leader in Europe, said on X.
‘Bitterly angry burlesque’
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chair of the Committee on Security and Defence at the European Parliament, said in an interview with the German media outlet WELT that:
“What we were treated to in two and a half hours was a bitterly angry burlesque.”
She accused Trump of having “completely lost his moral compass” and said the only result of the summit was “that Putin is back on the red carpet of the international world.”
She called on Europe to act united and to “continue supporting Ukraine with weapons so that the Ukrainian people are protected, support them economically, and make the Russian funds that are in Europe available to Ukraine immediately.”
Similarly, former German ambassador to the United States Wolfgang Ischinger commented that Putin received his red carpet treatment with Trump, while Trump got nothing.
“As was to be feared: no ceasefire, no peace. No real progress – a clear 1-0 for Putin – no new sanctions. For the Ukrainians: nothing. For Europe: deeply disappointing,” he said on X.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide noted that Putin repeated familiar points, including highlighting the so-called “root causes” of the war – a phrase used to justify Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
He emphasised Norway’s firm stance, stating that it is crucial to maintain and even intensify pressure on Russia to send a clear message that there will be consequences. Eide also warned that Putin aims to divide the unity between the EU and the US, stressing that Kyiv’s voice must be heard.
(This is a developing story)