Negotiations
French criticism of Trump: “We don’t understand the logic”
Donald Trump’s incorrect claim that Ukraine started the war with Russia is causing headaches in France. Sophie Primas, the government’s spokeswoman, says that the Trump administration has made a series of statements in recent days without consulting its allies in Europe.
– We don’t understand the logic very well, she says according to Sky News.
Primas also says that Europe’s defense capabilities are being tested under the new administration of the American president.
The world’s response
Vladimir Putin praises the “impartiality” of the US
Vladimir Putin believes that the American team that negotiated with Russia to end the war in Ukraine has acted “impartially and without prejudice”. He tells Russian state media according to AFP and Reuters.
– I have been informed about the talks. I value them highly, they have yielded results, says Putin.
The fact that Russia and the US have met for negotiations, without either Ukraine or Europe participating, has been met with harsh criticism from the countries that are not involved in the talks.
The fact that Donald Trump, contrary to reality, has accused Ukraine of starting the war after the talks has also been harshly criticized.
Putin also says that he would like to meet Trump.
– But I cannot say when a meeting with Trump might take place, he says.
Russian armaments are causing Denmark to invest 75 billion in defense: "Buy, buy, buy"
The Danish government is investing an additional 75 billion Swedish kronor in defense during 2025 and 2026, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced at a press conference.
– Buy, buy, buy, is her call to the country's chief of defense.
The investment is a response to Russian armaments. Frederiksen says the money will go towards new equipment, that it is a way to avoid war, and that the rearmament needs to happen quickly.
Frederiksen's announcement confirms media reports from earlier this week.
Norwegian expert: Hallucinating – spreading propaganda like a trained parrot
Donald Trump's claim that Volodymyr Zelensky is a dictator is alarming, according to experts that Norwegian Dagbladet spoke to.
- The problem is that the American president is repeating Putin's propaganda like a trained parrot, says Arne Bård Dalhaug, retired lieutenant general.
He calls it "hallucinations" and believes that it is something that Europe must deal with.
In a post on Truth Social and X, Trump writes that Zelensky is a dictator who refuses to hold elections. Zelensky was elected president in 2019 and was due to hold elections in 2024, but martial law imposed in the wake of the Russian invasion put a stop to that.
German government anger after Trump's post: "Absurd"
The German government is reacting strongly after US President Donald Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of being a dictator.
The claim is completely false, Chancellor Olaf Scholz tells Der Spiegel.
- It is simply wrong and dangerous to deny Zelensky's democratic legitimacy.
His Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks in similar terms. In an interview with ZDF, she calls Trump's post "completely absurd".
- If you look at the real world and not just send a tweet, then you know who in Europe is forced to live under the conditions of a dictatorship: people in Russia and Belarus.
Zelensky was elected president by the Ukrainian people in 2019. The martial law imposed when Russia invaded meant that there was no presidential election in 2024.
Voices on the Ukraine war
Trump calls Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator: “Has done a terrible job”
Donald Trump calls Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” who refuses to hold elections. In a post on his own Truth Social platform and on X, Trump writes that Zelensky has done a “terrible” job, and that he must act quickly:
“Otherwise, he will not have a country left,” the American president writes.
Trump criticizes Joe Biden for “never trying” to end the war and says that Europe has failed in such attempts. He again claims that Volodymyr Zelensky has low domestic support, despite a new poll giving him 57 percent support.
The Ukrainian population elected Zelensky as president in 2019. The country has not held elections since martial law was imposed when Russia's invasion began.
The US rhetoric on Ukraine coincides with Russia's in an extraordinary way, writes the BBC's Vitaly Shevchenko in an analysis after Donald Trump called Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator.
"I have heard these views for years – from the most anti-Western commentators on Russian state television."
Shevchenko writes that the Kremlin is clearly pleased with the development and that Russia knows that what has happened in recent days is unprecedented in history.
Financial Times Max Seddon writes on X that Putin could not have imagined that Donald Trump would end up in the Russian president's lap "as hard and as fast" as he has done in the past week.
Trump is looking for short-term victories, According to Sky News USA correspondent Mark Stone. He wants what, according to Trump, is most beneficial for the United States.
– These short-term gains are currently leading him to a negotiating table with only Russia on the other side.
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar