President Donald Trump sharpened his attack on European leaders Saturday, branding them “weaklings” during a press scrum at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida base. The salvo, fired on February 22, criticized allies for their handling of the Ukraine crisis and reliance on U.S. support, escalating friction as Trump sidelines Europe in upcoming peace talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

“They’re weaklings—total weaklings,” Trump declared, jabbing at leaders like France’s Emmanuel Macron and Britain’s Keir Starmer. “They can’t fix Ukraine without us, and now they’re mad because I’m talking to Putin and Xi. Pay up or step up!” The remarks followed Macron’s February 17 Paris summit, where European leaders, excluded from Trump’s planned March talks in Riyadh, scrambled for a unified stance. Trump’s push for NATO nations to exceed the 2 percent GDP defense spending mark—a familiar demand—underscored his frustration.

The outburst builds on Vice President JD Vance’s February 15 Munich Security Conference speech, where he slammed Europe’s “incompetent warmongers” for dragging out Ukraine’s war. Trump backed Vance Saturday, saying, “JD’s right—they’ve got no spine.” European responses vary: Starmer clings to the U.S. “special relationship,” while Germany’s outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, defeated in Sunday’s election, had called Trump’s moves “premature” on February 17. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged Saturday to lift defense spending to 3 percent GDP, a direct counter.

Trump’s team is steering U.S. policy elsewhere—a February 21 Pentagon memo hints at a 2026 troop pullback from Europe, prioritizing China. With Europe facing a $214 billion trade deficit with the U.S. (2024 figures), Trump’s leverage is clear. As he prepares to host Putin and Xi, European leaders face a stark reality: bolster their defenses or bow to his terms. For now, his words cut deep.