UK’s Sunak criticizes Trump’s treatment of Zelenskyy

Politico writes that in his first interview since losing the general election last July, Sunak condemned Trump’s harsh rhetoric towards Zelenskyy, questioning the U.S. president’s approach to ending the war in Ukraine.  

“It was very hard to watch,” Sunak told the BBC’s Nick Robinson, referring to the chaotic Oval Office meeting where Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of lacking gratitude towards the U.S. “As someone who has spent a lot of time with Volodymyr, been in Kyiv, and witnessed his struggles for his country... to see him called a dictator and blamed for starting the war was wrong.”  

Trump had recently called Zelenskyy a "dictator without elections," falsely claimed he had low approval ratings, and pursued peace talks with Russia. Although Trump softened his stance in a later address to Congress, it followed a decision to halt U.S. aid to Ukraine.  

Sunak, now a backbench Conservative MP, visited Ukraine twice as prime minister and was a strong supporter of Kyiv’s cause, a stance continued by his successor, Labour leader Keir Starmer.  

On Europe’s defense responsibilities, Sunak agreed with Trump’s demand that Europe take more responsibility. “We can’t expect America to bear the burden for our security if we aren’t willing to make sacrifices ourselves,” he said, acknowledging the need for greater European defense commitment.

• Keir Starmer has called on Europe to take the lead in supporting Ukraine, stressing that Europe must "do the heavy lifting" to secure peace. However, he also highlighted the need for U.S. backing to ensure a durable peace.