French far-right leader Marine Le Pen slammed the tense exchange between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “slap in the face” for Europe, warning that the continent’s security remains at the mercy of Washington.
Speaking at the Salon de l’Agriculture farming exhibition in Paris Saturday morning, the National Rally politician argued that the confrontation underscored Europe’s lack of strategic autonomy, channeling the Gaullist tradition of skepticism toward U.S. influence. While she described the face-off as “understandably tense” given the “very difficult” situation, she played down its significance beyond optics.
At Friday’s meeting at the White House, Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance berated Zelenskyy, accusing the Ukrainian president of showing insufficient gratitude for U.S. support. The clash ended with Trump canceling a planned press conference and halting the planned signing of a framework minerals deal between the two countries.
