Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Europe in a speech in Davos, accusing European leaders of being in "Greenland mode" as they wait for Donald Trump to take the lead on Ukraine and other geopolitical crises, instead of acting on their own.
"Last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech by saying that Europe must know how to defend itself," Zelensky said in his address to the World Economic Forum. "A year has passed, and nothing has changed."
In his speech, Zelensky touched on Trump's demands that the US take over Greenland, according to The Guardian, but he largely avoided criticizing the US president, instead blaming Europeans for remaining at the mercy of an increasingly unpredictable White House.
He said: "Everyone's paying attention to Greenland, and it's clear that most leaders are not sure what to do about it. It seems like everyone is just waiting for America to cool down, hoping it will pass. But what if it doesn't pass: what then?
"'Europe must learn how to defend itself,' he added. 'Sending 14 or 40 soldiers to Greenland, what is that supposed to achieve? What message does it send to Putin? China? And perhaps, most importantly, what message does it send to Denmark?'"
During the speech, Zelensky also suggested that Ukraine could help defend Europe in the event of a Russian invasion of Greenland, saying: "We know what to do if Russian warships approach Greenland, Ukraine can help with that too. They can sink near Greenland just like they sink near Crimea."
He also suggested that Europe should play a stronger role in targeting Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers, which help fund its war machine, and said it was still too easy for Russia to circumvent sanctions that allow it to continue mass-producing missiles and other munitions.
Threats to Europe were existential for NATO, he said, and Europe needed to have a “united armed force” that could defend the continent.
“Today, Europe relies solely on the belief that if danger arises, NATO will respond. But no one has actually seen the Alliance in action. If Putin decides to occupy Lithuania or strike Poland, who will respond? Right now, NATO exists thanks to the belief that the United States will act… but what if it doesn’t?
Zelensky's speech, in which he primarily targeted Europe for failing to respond to instability in American leadership, came shortly after he met with Trump to discuss the stalled negotiations on a peace deal that would end Russia's war in Ukraine.
Trump told reporters that his meeting with Zelensky was “good,” but that “they still have a long way to go.” His envoy, Steve Witkoff, is scheduled to meet with Vladimir Putin later today. Witkoff said the fact that the meeting was initiated by the Russians was a good sign.
"I think we've narrowed it down to one issue and we've looked at different aspects of that issue, which means it's solvable," Witkoff said before flying to Moscow. He was accompanied by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Asked in Davos if he had a message for Putin, Trump said: "The war must end."
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