CaliToday (29/9/2025): European leaders have issued a wave of sharp rebukes and thinly veiled condemnations following U.S. President Donald Trump's inflammatory address to the United Nations General Assembly, in which he branded climate change a "hoax" and accused European nations of self-destruction.
In a speech that sent shockwaves through the diplomatic community, President Trump used the global stage to launch a blistering attack on core tenets of international cooperation. He labeled the fight against climate change the "greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world" and claimed Europe’s "green energy agenda" had brought the continent to the "brink of destruction." He further asserted that European policies on immigration meant their "countries are going to hell."
The reaction from America's traditional allies was swift, unified, and deeply critical, highlighting a profound and widening chasm in transatlantic relations.
France’s Call for Unity Over "Might is Right"
Speaking from the same UN podium just hours after Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a powerful and direct counter-argument. Without naming his American counterpart, Macron’s entire speech was framed as a defense of the multilateralism Trump had attacked. He urged world leaders to “restore the state of cooperation that prevailed 80 years ago” and warned against a world where "might is right" prevails.
In a pointed reference to Trump’s climate denial, Macron noted grimly that “climate change is not under control, biodiversity is collapsing,” framing it as an existential challenge requiring joint action, not dismissal.
UK Leaders Condemn Divisive Rhetoric
In the days following the address, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking at a summit in London, offered his own critique. He condemned the populist rhetoric that paints false, decaying pictures of great cities—a clear reference to Trump’s repeated and incorrect claims about London. Starmer called for a direct confrontation against the "industrialised infrastructure of grievance" and the "lies" that seek to divide societies.
The response from London Mayor Sadiq Khan was even more blunt. After Trump called him a "terrible, terrible mayor" and falsely claimed the city was moving toward Sharia law, Khan fired back, accusing the U.S. President’s remarks of being "racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic." He stressed that a special relationship, like that between the US and UK, means having the confidence to call out a friend when they are wrong.
EU’s Diplomatic but Firm Disagreement
The official response from the European Union's leadership was more measured in tone but equally firm in substance. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a statement following a meeting with President Trump on the sidelines of the assembly, focused on areas of potential cooperation, such as support for Ukraine and cutting Russia’s fossil fuel revenues.
However, she pointedly highlighted the EU's united and unwavering support for a Two-State solution in the Middle East—a position that stands in contrast to the Trump administration's recent policies. This diplomatic framing underscored that while dialogue remains open, fundamental policy disagreements on key global issues persist.
German officials have previously echoed similar sentiments, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz on record regretting the U.S. administration's denial of climate facts and emphasizing that Europe must stand stronger and take more responsibility for its own security.
Collectively, the European response paints a picture of an alliance deeply troubled by the direction of its most powerful member. While committed to dialogue, European leaders have made it clear they will publicly defend the international order, their security commitments, and the scientific consensus on climate change against the "America First" doctrine proclaimed from the world's most prominent diplomatic stage.
