Paris, France (AFP) February 28 - European leaders threw their support behind Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after a raised-voice spat on Friday with Donald Trump sent shockwaves across the world, casting doubts over efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

The US president openly berated Zelensky for not being "thankful", later accusing the Ukrainian leader of "not being ready for peace" and having "disrespected" the United States in the "cherished Oval Office".

Here are some of the political reactions from around the world:

- EU: 'new leader' -

European Union chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa assured Zelensky that "You are never alone".

"Be strong, be brave, be fearless," wrote the European commission and council presidents in a joint statement on social media, telling Zelensky: "We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace."

The bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas questioned America's leadership of the West. "Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It's up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge," she wrote on social media.

- France: Russia the 'aggressor' -

French President Emmanuel Macron said that Russia is the "aggressor" in the Ukraine war.

"There is an aggressor which is Russia. There is an aggressed people which is Ukraine," Macron told journalists, adding: "We were all right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago and to continue to do so."

Later, Macron's office said he'd spoken by phone with Zelensky.

- Germany: don't 'confuse' -

Germany's likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz assured his support to Zelensky in a posting on X.

"We must never confuse the aggressor and the victim in this terrible war," Merz said. The outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz also voiced support for Ukraine, as did Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock who added that Kyiv's "quest for peace & security is ours".

- Hungary: Trump stood for 'peace' -

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of the closest partners of both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, thanked Trump for standing "bravely for peace".

"Strong men make peace, weak men make war," Orban wrote in a post on X.

- Netherlands: support 'undiminished' -

"Dutch support for Ukraine remains undiminished. Especially now," Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on X, adding "we want lasting peace and an end to the war of aggression that Russia has started."

- Poland: 'not alone' -

Staunch Kyiv ally Poland moved to reassure Ukrainians after the dispute.

"Dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X in a post addressed to Zelensky.

- Spain: 'stands with' Ukraine -

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his country would stand by war-torn Ukraine after the row.

"Ukraine, Spain stands with you," Sanchez, a staunch backer of Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion who pledged one billion euros of aid in a visit to Kyiv this week, wrote on X.

- Russia: 'cocaine clown' Zelensky -

"For the first time, Trump told the truth to the cocaine clown's face," said former president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia's security council, referring to Zelensky.

Kirill Dmitriev, one of Moscow's negotiators in the first high-level talks between Russian and US officials since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine, branded the spat between the two leaders as "historic"

- Ukraine: 'not possible' -

Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said Zelensky was "right" as "peace without guarantees is not possible".

"Cease-fire without guarantees is the way to Russian occupation of the entire European continent," Shmygal wrote on X.

- US Democrats: Trump 'doing Putin's work' -

Senate Democrats accused Trump and his Vice President JD Vance of siding with Putin.

"Trump and Vance are doing Putin's dirty work," Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer posted on social media.

Russia says Trump showed 'restraint' against 'scumbag' Zelensky

Moscow, Russia (AFP) February 28 - Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Friday said US President Donald Trump showed "restraint" by not hitting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during their shouting match in the White House.

"I think Zelensky's biggest lie of all his lies was his assertion in the White House that the Kyiv regime in 2022 was alone, without support," she wrote on Telegram.

"How Trump and Vance held back from hitting that scumbag is a miracle of restraint," she said.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is now deputy head of Russia's Security Council, called Zelensky an "insolent pig" who had received "a proper slap down in the Oval Office".

Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, called the heated confrontation between Trump and Zelensky "historic".

Dmitriev was one of Moscow's negotiators in the Russian-American talks held on February 18 in Saudi Arabia -- the first since Russia began its Ukraine offensive in 2022.

Word for word: the Trump-Zelensky clash

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting veered sharply off track in front of the television cameras on Friday.

Here are the highlights, word-for-word, from when Zelensky and US Vice President JD Vance started verbal sparring in the Oval Office.

Zelensky: What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you are asking about? What do you mean?

Vance: I'm talking about the kind of diplomacy that's going to end the destruction of your country.

Zelensky: Yes, but if you...

Vance: Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media. Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the frontlines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president.

Zelensky: Have you ever been to Ukraine to see the problems we have?

Vance: I've actually watched and seen the stories, and I know what happens is you bring people on a propaganda tour, Mr. President.

Do you disagree that you've had problems with bringing people in your military, and do you think that it's respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?

Zelensky: First of all, during the war, everybody has problems, even you. You have nice solutions and don't feel (it) now, but you will feel it in the future.

Trump: You don't know that. Don't tell us what we’re going to feel. We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel.

Zelensky: I am not telling you, I am answering...

Vance: That's exactly what you're doing...

Trump, raising his voice: You're in no position to dictate what we're going to feel. We're going to feel very good and very strong.

Zelensky tries to interrupt.

Trump: You right now are not in a very good position. You've allowed yourself to be in a very bad position.

You don't have the cards right now. With us, you start having the cards.

You're gambling with lives of millions of people, you're gambling with World War III and what you're doing is very disrespectful to this country.

Vance: Have you said thank you once?

Zelensky: A lot of times.

Vance: No, in this meeting, this entire meeting? Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who's trying to save your country.

Zelensky: Yes, you think that if you will speak very loudly about the war...

Trump: He's not speaking loud. Your country is in big trouble. No, no, you've done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble.

Zelensky: I know, I know.

Trump: You're not winning this. You have a damn good chance of coming out OK, because of us.

Zelensky: We are staying strong from the very beginning of the war, we have been alone, and we are saying, I said, thanks.

Trump, speaking over Zelensky: You haven't been alone.... We gave you military equipment. Your men are brave, but they had our military. If you didn't have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks.

Zelensky: I heard it from Putin in three days.

Trump: It's going to be a very hard thing to do business like this.

Vance: Just say thank you.

Zelensky: I said it a lot of times.

Vance: Accept that there are disagreements and let's go litigate those disagreements rather than trying to fight it in the American media, when you're wrong. We know that you're wrong.

Trump: You're buried there. Your people are dying. You're running low on soldiers. No, listen... And then you tell us, 'I don't want a cease fire. I don't want a cease fire. I want to go and I want this.'

Trump: You're not acting at all thankful. And that's not a nice thing. I'll be honest, that's not a nice thing. All right, I think we've seen enough. What do you think? Great television. I will say that.