Several prominent European leaders have come under scrutiny after posting identical messages of support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following his contentious meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Social media users quickly identified that at least five high-ranking European officials shared the exact same statement on their platforms.
The message read: “Your dignity honours the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President @ZelenskyyUa. We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.”
Those who posted the identical message include European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis, European Parliament member Manfred Weber and European Council President António Costa.
The coordinated messaging prompted criticism on social media, with users describing it as “kinda creepy” and even questioning, “has the EU been bots this whole time?”
The posts followed Friday’s heated Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, which ended with Trump asking the Ukrainian leader to leave the White House.
Trump stated Zelenskyy could return “when he is ready for peace.”
Zelenskyy traveled to Europe where he met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday following the Washington meeting.
The two leaders were seen embracing upon Zelenskyy’s arrival, with Starmer pledging “unwavering” support and stating, “We stand with Ukraine for as long as it may take.”
European leaders gathered in London on Sunday after Starmer revealed he had spoken with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron about the UK and France taking the lead on developing a peace plan to eventually present to the United States.
The summit appears to represent a shift in strategy following the contentious White House meeting, with European powers potentially preparing to take more initiative in the ongoing conflict.
This development comes as the newly inaugurated Trump administration signals a possible change in America’s approach to supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts.
Starmer made a bold commitment during Sunday’s comments,, saying, “We discussed a plan today to reach a peace that is tough and fair, that Ukraine will help shape, that’s backed by strength, to stop Putin coming back for more.”
He added that the UK is “ready to put boots on the ground and planes in the air to support a deal, working together with our allies, because that is the only way that peace will last,” according to a report from Fox News.
These statements from the British Prime Minister suggest a willingness to consider direct military involvement to enforce any potential peace agreement, marking a significant escalation in rhetoric from Western allies regarding the conflict.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard offered criticism of the European response during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.”
She defended Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy and suggested that critics of the meeting “are showing that they are not committed to peace.”
Gabbard went further, questioning the commitment of certain European countries to democratic values.
“We heard very clearly, during Vice President Vance’s speech in Munich, different examples of how these European partners and longtime allies, in many cases, are actually implementing policies that undermine democracy that shows that they don’t actually believe in the voices of the people being heard, and implementing anti-freedom policies,” she stated.
She specifically pointed to actions in the United Kingdom, Germany, and mentioned the “tossing out of the elections in Romania” as examples of concerning behavior from European allies.
