European leaders"are weak" and Russia "is in a position of strength." These are the words of Trump. In a flurry of action, Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian presidential adviser on foreign investments and negotiator with the United States, relaunched the American president's words on social media X:"He's telling the TRUTH about European leaders."

The rift between Washington and Brussels is deepening, and the White House chief's interview with Politico hasn't calmed spirits. Trump's take on EU officials regarding the war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022 with the Russian invasion, is this:"I think they want to be politically correct and don't know what to do. Europe doesn't know what to do." The tycoon has no doubts about who has the upper hand in possible negotiations: "There's no doubt about it. It's Russia. It's a much bigger country. It's a war that should never have happened."

In the interview, Trump boasts of his in-depth knowledge of his European colleagues: “I know them really well, some of them are fine. I know the good leaders. I know the bad leaders. I know the smart ones. I know the stupid ones. There are some really stupid ones.” And he adds: “Europe is not doing a good job in many ways. They talk too much. And they are not producing. We are talking about Ukraine. They talk but they are not producing. And the war just goes on and on.” The tycoon also finds time to criticize the EU's immigration policies:"If this continues, Europe will not be... in my opinion, many of those countries will no longer be viable countries. Their immigration policy is a disaster. What they're doing with immigration is a disaster. I don't have a vision for Europe," Trump adds."All I want to see is a strong Europe. Look, I have a vision for the United States of America first and foremost. I explain to Europe why I think, I have eyes, I have ears. I have vast knowledge. I see what's happening. I get reports you'll never see. And I think it's horrible what's happening to Europe. I think it's endangering Europe as we know it. Europe could be a completely different place."

In Brussels, journalists asked Paula Pinho, spokesperson for the European Commission, to comment on the American president's remarks. The official initially responded:"Sometimes not communicating, not reacting, or not responding is a form of response and a form of communication. So, when you see that certain issues aren't addressed or don't receive a direct response, it's probably part of a conscious decision not to intervene." He then added: "I will refrain from commenting on these statements, except to confirm that we are very proud and grateful to have excellent leaders, starting with the leader of this institution, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. We are truly proud of those who lead us in addressing the many challenges facing the world. We have many other leaders at the helm of the 27 Member States who are part of this European project, this peace project, and who are leading the Union with determination in the face of all the difficulties we are experiencing, within and beyond our neighbourhood. In recent years, we have faced an enormous number of challenges: from the war involving our neighbour, Ukraine, to the energy crisis that we felt so keenly and which we managed to overcome together."