Sir Richard Branson has launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump and his ‘fawning’ over Vladimir Putin.
This week, Trump has cosied up to Russia and Putin with diesel deals and sham ‘energy ceasefire announcements.’
This was followed by restrictions being implemented on the Starlink internet network, disrupting Kyiv’s battlefield missions in a move widely believed to have been taken by the US government.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that he feels ‘betrayed’ by the US and it’s safe to say Trump’s actions have been met with shock and anger by Europe as well.
Now, British billionaire Richard Branson has condemned Trump and urged European powers to “step up to the plate” against Russia.
READ NEXT: Piers Morgan urges Trump to side with Ukraine against ‘modern-day Hitler’ Putin
In a post on LinkedIn, the Virgin Group co-founder said the Trump administration has “become an appeaser to autocrats and dictators, putting their personal whims before the best interests of the American people and those of the free world.”
He continued: “What is it about Putin that President Trump fawns over? How will America’s allies ever be able to trust this administration again when they are now turning against them at a time of war and suffering?
“The slowdown of Starlink/Starshield and the inexplicable lack of advance warning of Russian missile launches have already caused Ukrainian civilians to die unnecessarily. How much worse can it get?”
Branson went on to say that European leaders “must overcome the initial shock about Trump’s recent actions and step up to the plate.”
He argued the conflict in Ukraine is “as much about Europe’s freedom as it is about Ukraine’s sovereignty” and that “all options should be on the table.”
Branson said this could include measures such as “the transfer of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to the delivery of advanced weapons systems such as Germany’s Taurus.”
“We cannot let the free world be dismantled before our very eyes,” he added.