In the wake of an unprecedented public clash between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, PVV leader Geert Wilders initially remained reserved.
However, a day later, the leader of the far-right Dutch ruling party has expressed support for Zelenskyy. “The PVV naturally supports Ukraine with conviction,” Wilders stated on Saturday. Yet, he believes criticising Trump achieves little and does not bring the war any closer to an end.
“The hysterical anti-Trump sentiment benefits no one. Without the US, there will be no peace, no security guarantees, nothing. It’s in our interest to get the US and Ukraine back to the negotiating table.”
On Friday, following the disagreement between the heads of state, Wilders kept a low profile. He merely tweeted: “Fascinating TV, but not necessarily the best way to end the war, gentlemen.” Other Dutch party leaders immediately backed Ukraine.
The PVV has supported Ukraine since it joined the cabinet; previously, the party opposed any aid to the country attacked by Russia three years ago. The PVV’s stance on Kyiv remains ambivalent.
On Friday evening, PVV MPs retweeted messages applauding Trump’s and Vice President J.D. Vance’s attacks on Zelensky. This retweeting led to angry reactions from figures like Bente Becker, the deputy chair of the liberal ruling VVD party in the House of Representatives. “I’m appalled. This plays into Putin’s hands. Either this PVV member doesn’t understand that, which is concerning, or he does, and that’s even worse,” Becker commented.
