Although German Chancellor Olaf Scholz refrained from naming the U.S. President directly, his comments were unmistakably aimed at him. Scholz stated, “Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the democratically elected leader of Ukraine. The current inability to conduct regular elections amid war is consistent with the Ukrainian constitution and electoral regulations. No one should assert otherwise.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has generally praised Trump since his return to the White House, aiming to maintain the so-called special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K.

However, the issue of Ukraine is a sensitive topic for Starmer. On Wednesday night, he reached out to Zelenskyy, expressing support for him as “Ukraine’s democratically elected leader.” He highlighted that it is entirely reasonable to postpone elections during wartime, akin to the approach the U.K. took during World War II, as detailed in a statement from Downing Street.

In an effort to extend an olive branch to Trump, the statement from No. 10 also acknowledged Starmer’s backing for U.S.-led initiatives aimed at achieving lasting peace in Ukraine, which would act as a deterrent against future Russian aggression.

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who has previously had disputes with Trump over his repeated claims regarding acquiring Greenland, expressed confusion over the U.S. President’s criticism of Zelenskyy. According to local media, she remarked, “Zelenskyy is a democratically elected and notably capable political leader in Europe.”

Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also reinforced the significance of Zelenskyy’s democratic election. Meanwhile, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre criticized Trump’s assertion regarding Zelenskyy being a dictator, labeling it as “deeply unreasonable.”