WASHINGTON, USA — The Trump administration has intensified its pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggesting he may need to step aside as European leaders solidify their support for him.
The deepening rift between the United States and its European allies signals one of the most serious fractures in the Western alliance since the end of the Cold War.
The divide emerged starkly following Zelensky’s contentious visit to the Oval Office last week, where he was sharply rebuked by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance before being dismissed from the White House.
The fallout from that encounter has since escalated, with US officials casting doubts on Zelensky’s commitment to ending the war with Russia and hinting at the need for new Ukrainian leadership.
“We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war,” Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday.
“If it becomes apparent that President Zelensky’s either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in his country, then I think we have a real issue on our hands.”
Europe Steps Into the Void
Even as US officials question Zelensky’s leadership, European leaders have sought to bolster his standing.
Over the weekend, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed Zelensky as a guest of honour at a summit in London, where Western allies pledged to continue supporting Ukraine.
In a significant move, King Charles III granted Zelensky an audience at Buckingham Palace, a meeting widely interpreted as a show of solidarity.
Starmer vowed to build a “coalition of the willing” to sustain Ukraine’s defences and reinforce European military aid, despite uncertainty about continued US support.
“We must ensure that Ukraine has what it needs, for as long as it takes,” Starmer said at the summit. “There is no stable peace without security guarantees.”
French President Emmanuel Macron also announced a proposal for a monthlong ceasefire in Ukraine, which he said would lay the groundwork for a broader peace agreement.
Zelensky acknowledged the proposal but has yet to publicly endorse it.
Trump’s Efforts to Pressure Zelensky
Trump, meanwhile, has continued to criticise Zelensky.
Reacting to an Associated Press report in which Zelensky stated that the war’s end was “still very, very far away,” Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to challenge his Ukrainian counterpart.
“It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelensky, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?” Trump wrote.
The administration has also signalled that continued US support for Ukraine is contingent on Zelensky’s willingness to negotiate a settlement with Moscow.
House Speaker Mike Johnson reinforced that message, stating on NBC’s Meet the Press: “Either he needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country to do that.”
Senator Lindsey Graham, once a strong advocate for Ukraine, also questioned Zelensky’s viability as a wartime leader.
“I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelensky again,” he said.
Moscow Seeks to Exploit Western Divisions
The discord within the Western alliance has not gone unnoticed in Moscow.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that “someone must force Zelensky to change his position” and called on Ukraine to accept terms that would end the war on Russia’s preferred terms.
“There were also statements about the need to urgently provide increased levels of funding for Ukraine. This is clearly not for a peace plan, but for the continuation of military operations,” Peskov said, in an apparent attempt to cast doubt on Europe’s peace initiative.
The Kremlin’s statements mirror those of Trump administration officials, underlining the perception that Trump’s approach to Ukraine has aligned closely with Moscow’s interests.
The West’s Strategic Crossroads
While Trump has insisted that his administration’s approach is about securing peace, his critics argue that his policies are destabilising the Western alliance and emboldening Russian President Vladimir Putin.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded to the growing uncertainty over US leadership by calling on Europe to strengthen its own military capabilities.
“Ukraine must become a steel porcupine that is indigestible for potential invaders,” she said on Sunday.
Yet despite the European push, questions remain about whether the continent can sustain Ukraine’s war effort without Washington’s backing.
Years of defence budget cuts and reliance on US military support have left Europe’s ability to fill the potential gap in doubt.
Trump’s reluctance to provide security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a peace settlement has further exacerbated tensions.
Macron and Starmer have both urged the US to backstop a European-led peacekeeping effort, but Trump has yet to commit.
“I do not accept that the US is an unreliable ally,” Starmer said on Sunday, attempting to downplay tensions.
However, some members of Trump’s administration have moved to undermine Europe’s diplomatic efforts.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard dismissed the European-led initiatives, arguing that nations supporting Zelensky “are not committed to the cause and values of freedom” and do not believe in peace.
Her remarks, made on Fox News Sunday, echoed rhetoric used by the Kremlin.
Billionaire Elon Musk, who has been critical of European leaders, also took aim at the London summit, writing on X, “The EU leaders and Zelensky having fancy dinners while men die in trenches. How many parents will never see their son again? How many children will never see their father?”
Uncertain Future for Ukraine
With the US pushing for a leadership change in Ukraine and Europe attempting to shield Zelensky, the road ahead remains unclear.
While the West’s divisions have deepened, Ukraine’s survival may hinge on whether Europe can turn its promises of military and financial aid into a viable long-term strategy—one that does not depend on Washington’s shifting political winds.
For now, Zelensky remains in office.
But whether he can continue to lead Ukraine’s war effort in the face of mounting pressure from Washington remains one of the most pressing geopolitical questions of the moment.
