Trump Accuses Europe of "Going into Decline" and Presses Ukraine to Hold Elections Again

US President Trump on Tuesday, December 09, strongly criticized Europe, claiming that Europe is "in decline" due to "stupid leaders" and "overly politically correct" immigration policies. In a long interview with Politico, Trump again pressured Ukraine to hold elections, stating that Russia has "always had the advantage" on the battlefield.

According to AFP, Trump's interview with Politico came shortly after the White House released a new version of the US National Security Strategy. The strategy document claims that European civilization is facing a "gradual disappearance" crisis and advocates addressing "mass migration," with some observers criticizing its arguments as echoing far-right "population replacement" conspiracy theories.

German Chancellor Merkel said on Tuesday that some content in the strategy report was "completely unacceptable from the European perspective."

Trump: European Leaders "Are Really Stupid" and Immigration Policy Is "a Disaster"

In the interview, Trump described Europe's decline with extremely strong language, stating, "Most European countries... are in decline."

Trump said he knows what constitutes "bad leaders, smart leaders, and stupid leaders," and directly stated that some European leaders "are really stupid."

Trump also accused Europe of being too afraid of political incorrectness to address the immigration issue. Trump said, "They want political correctness, and that's why they're weak. What they're doing on immigration is a disaster."

Trump further pointed out changes in European cities, saying, "I used to like Paris. It's completely different now. Look at London, they have a mayor named Khan. He's a bad, evil, and repulsive mayor."

Trump also claimed that Europe's immigrants come from all over the world, not just from the Middle East, but also from Congo... even from prisons in Congo and many other countries, without providing any evidence. Trump has also made similar statements about the United States, claiming that it faces an influx of immigrants from prisons and mental institutions in Latin America, which also lacks factual basis.

Satirizing Europe's reliance on American military protection: "NATO calls me [Dad]"

When talking about Europe's defense reliance on the US, Trump sarcastically said, "NATO calls me [Dad]." NATO Secretary General Rutte previously described Trump's international mediation role as akin to "a father scolding noisy children," and Trump clearly took the opportunity to mock this statement.

Trump said he "has no intention of ruling Europe," but still claimed he "deeply involved in European affairs." He also admitted that he publicly supported Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán because Orbán did "a good job" on the immigration issue.

Pressing Ukraine Again: Demand Kyiv to Hold Elections, Claim Russia "Always Has the Advantage"

In this interview, Trump accused Europe of "being unable to handle the Ukraine war" and again demanded that Ukraine hold elections. He accused Kyiv of using the war as an excuse to delay elections and said, "They keep emphasizing democracy, but the current situation has strayed from the core of democracy... the people of Ukraine should have the right to choose."

Trump also claimed that Russia has "always had the advantage" in strength. Trump said, "Russia has always had the upper hand. They are much bigger and stronger. I greatly admire Ukraine's courage, but at some point, strength will determine the outcome."

Trump also sarcastically referred to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as "P.T. Barnum" (original: "I call him P.T. Barnum"), comparing him to 19th-century showman P.T. Barnum, known for exaggerated hype and seen as unscrupulous.

The Washington Post noted that the sharp criticism of Europe in the new US national security strategy has caused strong dissatisfaction in Europe, with many European officials believing that the Trump administration has formally elevated past criticisms of European countries into a policy stance. As Trump pushes for conditions favorable to Russia to end the Russia-Ukraine war, the EU fined Elon Musk's social platform X $140 million on the 5th for violating digital regulations, and transatlantic relations have now reached their lowest point since Trump returned to the White House in January of this year.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1851082765427724/

Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author alone.