After days of EU officials essentially begging Washington to give the bloc a seat at the table in talks with Russia to end the Ukraine war, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has warned the US that its actions could severely damage relations with Europe.
She urged for the European Union to put more pressure on Washington, and coupled the statement with a warning of what will happen if "liberal democracies" can't be supported. This is after President Trump has blasted Ukraine and the Zelensky government for refusing to hold elections or achieve peace with Moscow.
"We are increasing the pressure on the Americans" to signal "that they have a lot to lose if they stop standing by the liberal democracies of Europe," she said Friday during a campaign event near Berlin.
Her words sound like a threat issued in the direct of President Trump, which he's unlikely to take very kindly too, at a moment the US administration has been denouncing Zelensky's 'rude' behavior.
She repeated Berlin's warnings against a "sham peace" in Ukraine, and voiced the need to prevent forcing Kiev into painful and unfair concessions.
"A sham peace - that is, a peace that is not peace, but blackmail or a surrender is not peace, but the opposite: further preparation for even more war and violence," the German top diplomat said. She again emphasized that she and Germany will support Ukraine "as long as it needs it."
On the question of the future of European-US relations under Trump, Baerbock said at this point drawing firm conclusions are premature, noting that "nothing has been decided there."
Meanwhile EU officials aren't the only ones in 'shock' after Trump dismissed Zelensky as a 'dictator' this week, but Ukrainian officials too are alarmed that Kiev's biggest backer has clearly turned:
“It is painful, it’s not easy, it’s not easy to process,” Kira Rudik, member of the Ukrainian parliament and leader of the opposition Golos party, said of Trump’s remarks.
...The rhetorical tit-for-tat was a mistake, said Oleksiy Goncharenko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament for the opposition European Solidarity party.
Zelensky's own officials are desperately warning him not to take the bait, and to ignore Trump's rhetorical harshness against Ukraine.
"What’s happening, it’s a catastrophe," Goncharenko added. "That was a very big mistake from Zelensky to react to what Trump said… that Trump is in a disinformation bubble — after that it was clear Trump would react. We know that these things, for him being criticized publicly, I don’t know, it is the worst possible thing."
Der Spiegel cover: "Betrayed. First Zelensky, then us? The US's radical withdrawal from its allies"
The Ukrainian official continued, "The best thing now, I think, just is not to reply anymore and try to find somebody who will message Trump and try to rebuild at least some kind of relationships — because we need United States, that’s all. We desperately need the US."
