After an Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky that turned into an argument in front of the press, several leaders of NATO nations made public statements in support of the Ukrainian leader.
On Friday, Zelensky traveled to the US to meet with Trump and was expected to sign a mineral deal. Trump said that deal would allow for aid to continue to flow to Kiev. However, during a press conference before the deal was signed, an argument erupted.
Following the presser, Trump expelled Zelensky from the White House, and posted on Truth Social that the deal was off. “I have determined that President Zelensky is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE,” he wrote.
The feud between Trump and Zelensky prompted most leaders of NATO countries to voice support for Ukraine. Nataša Pirc Musar, the President of Slovenia, posted on X, “What we witnessed in the Oval Office today undermines these values and the foundations of diplomacy. We stand firmly in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
Other leaders who publicly restated their commitment to supporting Ukraine following the meeting included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Thank you for your support pic.twitter.com/nvJJdpYO0i
— Dave DeCamp (@DecampDave) March 1, 2025
Trump did receive support from one NATO leader. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, “Strong men make peace, weak men make war. Today President [Trump] stood bravely for peace. Even if it was difficult for many to digest. Thank you, Mr. President!”
Before Trump met with Zelensky, the civilian head of the North Atlantic alliance announced that members of the bloc were preparing billions in aid to send to Ukraine. Additionally, some allies are considering providing Ukraine with security guarantees.
In a post on X, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wrote, “On Ukraine, Allies are preparing billions more in aid + contributions to security guarantees.” Kiev maybe in desperate need of military support. Following Friday’s heated exchange, Trump is considering ending all military support for Ukraine, including intelligence and training.
Rutte said he spoke with the President in his post Thursday. “US & NATO are getting stronger. NATO Allies are moving quickly to invest more in defense. Big increases announced & others to follow,” he wrote.
Some members of the bloc, including Germany, are concerned that Trump intends to withdraw from the alliance, leaving the Europeans fearing they will be responsible for their own security.
Before he returned to the White House in January, Trump called on members of NATO to boost spending on defense to 5% of the country’s GDP, more than doubling the current requirement of 2% that some member states do not reach.
Rutte’s call to significantly increase the bloc’s military spending could be an effort to keep Washington firmly committed to NATO while Trump remains in the White House. When the members elected Rutte to the Secretary General’s role last year, it was because the bloc believed that Rutte would be able to effectively pressure Trump not to break from NATO or end support for the proxy war in Ukraine.
If Europe moves forward with a large arms transfer to Kiev, it could interfere with Trump’s negotiations with Putin to end the war. Additionally, NATO member states voicing support for Zelensky following the argument with Trump, could invoke the president’s ire. Trump often expresses that the US subsidizes too much of Europe’s defense.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com and news editor of the Libertarian Institute. He hosts The Kyle Anzalone Show and is co-host of Conflicts of Interest with Connor Freeman.
