Image: Lord Bebo X@MyLordBeb
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
WASHINGTON D.C. / LONDON – U.S. President Donald Trump publicly confirmed yesterday that he exchanged “pretty strong words” with the leaders of France, Britain, and Germany regarding the path to ending Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, signaling a growing and significant transatlantic rift over the conflict.
The President disclosed details of a phone call with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “We discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words,” Trump told reporters in Washington, adding, “I think we had some little disputes about people and we’re going to see how it turns out.”
The disagreement centers on a U.S.-backed peace proposal and the timing of high-level negotiations. Trump noted the European allies wished to hold fresh talks over the weekend of December 13 to 14. However, the President warned that they risked “wasting time” amid divisions over the U.S. plan, stating, “We don’t want to be wasting time.”
The initial U.S. plan reportedly involved Ukraine surrendering land that Russia had not yet captured, a measure seen by Kyiv and its European allies as aligning too closely with many of Russia’s hardline demands, leading to necessary revisions. Ukrainian officials confirmed yesterday that Kyiv had sent an updated draft of the peace plan to Washington.
Adding pressure, Trump continued to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept a deal, urging him to “play ball” by ceding territory to Moscow. The President had previously suggested, without evidence, that Zelenskyy was the main obstacle to peace, claiming Russia was “fine” with the U.S. plan, which included major concessions for Ukraine.
The diplomatic rift deepened days earlier when Trump, in an interview published by Le Monde on December 9, described Europe as “decaying” and blasted key allies as “weak” over issues like immigration and their response to Ukraine. These comments followed a U.S. National Security Strategy report that also suggested the continent risked “civilisational erasure.”
In response to Trump’s criticism, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper fiercely defended the continent, stating all she saw in Europe was “strength,” citing increased investment in defense and substantial funding for Kyiv.
Cooper pointedly contrasted the push for peace with Moscow’s actions, noting that two presidents, referring to Trump and Zelenskyy, were “working for peace,” while “one President – President Putin, has so far simply sought to escalate the conflict with further drone and missile attacks.”
Zelenskyy, writing on X, confirmed that Ukraine and Europe were actively developing the “components of potential steps toward ending the war,” indicating that the Ukrainian and European elements of the plan were now more developed.
Meanwhile, Trump offered the latest in a series of hints that he may walk away from the conflict altogether. “Sometimes you have to let people fight it out, and sometimes you don’t,” Trump said yesterday, concluding that the situation was “ridiculous” given the heavy casualties.