Trump and Vance’s attack on Zelenskyy was the antithesis of Christian values

Donald Trump and JD Vance tried to humiliate Volodymyr Zelenskyy on an international stage last week, says Tim Farron MP. The Christians who voted the US president into power must now hold him to account

Europe gasped in collective horror last week as the American president and vice-president berated Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his “lack of gratitude” for their support in defending Ukraine against three years of Russian invasion.

In the US, some vocally supported Trump and Vance. Europe seems very distant to many ordinary Americans and, as Zelenskyy pointed out, there is a “nice ocean” between us. Others felt that the pair were tearing US diplomacy to shreds and diminishing their country in the eyes of the rest of the world.

Perhaps this was a deliberate ploy to force Europe to step up its collective defence spending. Trump is right that European nations have, for many years, relied on US support. In that, it has undoubtedly been effective, although an increase in UK defence spending had already been announced, funded by a cut to international aid.