'Can the US be friends with weak Europe? It depends,' says Trump in latest tirade

Donald Trump has accused European leaders of being “weak” and claimed their countries are “decaying” in an extraordinary attack on Washington’s traditionally closest allies.

- JAMES C. REYNOLDS

The US president claimed European nations had failed to control migration or take decisive action to end the war in Ukraine, calling into question America's longstanding alliances.

“I think they're weak,” Mr Trump said in a wide-ranging interview with Politico. “But I also think that they want to be so politically correct. I think they don't know what to do. What they're doing with immigration is a disaster.”

Asked whether foreign leaders deemed weak could still be friends of the United States, he said: “It depends.”

His inflammatory comments followed a week of turbulent diplomacy as Europe rallied around Kyiv and Mr Trump turned his ire back to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he accused of not having read the latest American peace proposals.

Fragile talks to end the war appeared on the brink of collapse after Donald Trump Jr said on Sunday his father might be ready to walk away altogether.

“They have to play ball,” the president said when asked about his eldest son's remarks. “If they don't read agreements, potential agreements, it's not easy.”