Ukraine’s President Told Europe To Get Out Of “Greenland Mode” And Stop Waiting For The US
“Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words ‘Europe needs to know how to defend itself’. A year has passed and nothing has changed.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged for Europe to stand up for itself and stop waiting for US President Donald Trump to make decisions.
On Thursday, Jan. 22, Zelenskyy used most of his speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, to call out the European Union for not doing enough to protect Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and its passivity against other international conflicts.
“Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words ‘Europe needs to know how to defend itself’. A year has passed and nothing has changed,” Zelenskyy said.
As an example, he pointed to Europe's response to Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, criticizing moves that deployed only a small number of troops, which he said hurt Europe’s credibility as a reliable security partner.
“Sending 14 or 40 soldiers to Greenland – what is that meant to achieve? What message does that send to Putin? To China? And perhaps, most importantly, what message does it send to Denmark?” he said.
Zelensky then turned to Russia’s war in Ukraine to show how Europe continues to depend on Trump’s support when it comes to the war.
He said Ukraine remains under constant attack, with most recent Russian strikes destroying power and heating infrastructure and forcing civilians to endure winter without electricity or warmth.
He said European leaders often speak confidently about ending the war, but in practice always have to rely on Trump’s backing to make any ceasefire or security guarantees possible.
He criticized internal arguments that prevented Europe from becoming a “truly global power” instead of a “beautiful, but fragmented, kaleidoscope of small and middle powers.”
“We should not degrade ourselves to secondary roles,” he warned. “Europe can and must be a global force, not one that reacts late but one that defines the future. That would help everyone from the Middle East to every other region in the world.”
Zelenskyy concluded by affirming Ukraine’s commitment to help Europe guarantee peace, which he said starts with the protection of Ukraine’s independence.
The US is currently holding peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which have been stalled following disagreements over Ukraine’s territory.
You Might Also Be Interested In
Cherry Mohamed
Sofia Hou
