The rare spectacle on Friday, when Donald Trump and J.D. Vance had a shouting match in the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, drew rebukes from around the world.
Among those giving a thumbs down to Trump’s behavior was François Hollande, the former president of France.
Hollande led France from 2012 to 2017 and is the immediate predecessor of the current president, Emmanuel Macron. He remains a member of the French Parliament.
“Trump is no longer an ally—he’s siding with our adversaries,” Hollande said in an interview Friday with Le Monde. “Even if the American people remain our friends, the Trump administration itself is no longer our ally.”
🚨 BREAKING: Former French President François Hollande just dropped a brutal truth bomb:
“Trump is no longer an ally—he’s siding with our adversaries.”
In a searing interview, Hollande, predecessor to President Macron, made it clear: “The American people remain our friends, but… pic.twitter.com/bMZWXYVkJX
— Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) March 1, 2025
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Hollande added that Trump “has opened a deep rupture with Europe,” and when asked if Macron’s recent visit to Washington had had “satisfying results,” he answered “No, because I’m lucid.”
The comments appear to have been published before the White House meeting but referenced other actions Trump has taken towards Russia and Ukraine, including direct talks with Vladimir Putin and the U.S. vote against Ukraine at the United Nations.
The New York Times reported after the meeting that Europe has “rallied around” Zelensky following the White House meeting.
Leaders in France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Norway, Finland, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Belgium, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Ireland lined up behind Ukraine and praised its embattled leader. https://t.co/hB2gThGBKl
— Chris Cioffi (@ReporterCioffi) March 1, 2025
“In statement after statement, leaders in France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Norway, Finland, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Belgium, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Ireland lined up behind Ukraine and praised its embattled leader,” the newspaper said. Zelensky responded to each statement on X with the statement “thank you for your support.”
Among those making a statement was the current president of France, Macron.
“There is an aggressor: Russia. There is a victim: Ukraine,” Macron said on X. “We were right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago—and to keep doing so. By ‘we,’ I mean the Americans, the Europeans, the Canadians, the Japanese, and many others.”
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
