Karina Bovsunovskaya10:04, 04.03.25

According to the French Prime Minister, Zelensky, despite pressure from the US President, did not break down for the sake of the honor of Ukraine and Europe.

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou criticized the conversation between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, calling the dispute an act of “cruelty” aimed at humiliating the Ukrainian president and subordinating him to the will of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, the Associated Press reports .

“On Friday night, in the Oval Office of the White House, before the cameras of the world, a stunning scene unfolded, marked by cruelty, the desire to humiliate, with the aim of forcing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to break through threats so that he would give in to the demands of his aggressors. All this was summed up in one phrase in front of the cameras of the planet: “Either you find an agreement with Putin, or we will abandon you,” Bayrou said.

During his speech in the French parliament, the prime minister also added:

“For the honor of democratic responsibility, for the honor of Ukraine and, I dare say, for the honor of Europe, President Zelenskyy did not break, and I think we can express our gratitude to him.”

After these words, lawmakers rose to their feet in the National Assembly hall to applaud.

According to Bayrou, the scene in the Oval Office, where both Trump and US Vice President J.D. Vance attacked Zelensky, left “two victims”, the first of which was Ukraine’s security. At the same time, the second was transatlantic relations with traditional American allies and Washington’s image, the prime minister noted.

Bayrou added that the Oval Office dispute “has compromised another fundamental alliance: the one the United States had with itself, its history and a certain ideal of upholding the rule of law, protecting the weak from the forces of tyranny.”

(C)UNIAN 2025