DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted his European allies Thursday for what he described as the continent’s slow, fragmented and inadequate response to Russia’s invasion nearly four years ago and its continued international aggression.
Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Zelenskyy listed a litany of complaints and criticisms of Europe that he said have left Ukraine at the mercy of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid a continued push by the United States for a peace settlement.
“Europe seems lost,” Zelenskyy said in his speech, urging the continent to become a global force. He contrasted Europe’s response with Washington’s bold steps in Venezuela and Iran.
The former comic actor referred to the movie “Groundhog Day”, in which the main character has to relive the same day over and over again.
“Only last year, here in Davos, I finished my speech with the words: Europe must know how to defend itself. A year has passed. And nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I have to say the same words again,” said Zelenskyy.
He said that the Ukrainians, too, seem trapped in that reality in the war, “repeating the same thing for weeks, months and, of course, for years. And yet that’s how we live now. It’s our life.”
Meeting with Trump
His speech was made after he met behind closed doors for about an hour in Davos with US President Donald Trump, who described the talks as “very good”. Zelenskyy called them “productive and meaningful.”
European countries, which see their own future defense at risk in the war on its eastern flank, have provided financial, military and humanitarian support for Kyiv, but not all members of the 27-nation European Union are helping. Ukraine has also been frustrated by political disagreements within Europe on how to deal with Russia, as well as by the bloc’s sometimes slow responses.
Russia’s largest army has managed to capture about 20% of Ukraine since the start of hostilities in 2014 and its full invasion of 2022. But the battlefield gains along the front line of about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) have been expensive for Moscow, and the Russian economy is feeling the consequences of the war and international sanctions.
Ukraine is short of money and, despite significantly boosting its own arms manufacturing, still needs Western arms. He is also short-handed on the front line. His Minister of Defense last week reported about 200,000 desertions of troops and escape of the draft by about 2 million Ukrainians.
Zelenskyy is also striving to keep the world’s attention focused on Ukraine despite other conflicts.
Zelenskyy cites the lack of action on key decisions
He chided Europe for being slow to act on key decisions, spending too little on defense, failing to stop Russia’s “parallel fleet” of oil tankers violating international sanctions, and being reluctant to use its frozen assets in Europe to fund Ukraine, among other things.
Europe, he said, “still feels more like geography, history, tradition, not a real political force, not a great power.”
“Some Europeans are really strong, it’s true, but many say we have to stay strong, and they always want someone else to tell them how strong they need to stay, preferably until the next election,” he said.
The Trump administration is pushing for a peace deal, with its envoys shuttling between Kiev and Moscow in a negotiating scramble that some worry could force Ukraine into an unfavorable deal.
Meeting in Moscow
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner were expected in Moscow later Thursday for further talks with Putin.
One key issue remains to be resolved in the negotiations, Witkoff said in Davos, without saying what it was. Zelenskyy said the future status of the land in eastern Ukraine currently occupied by Russia is still unresolved but that the peace proposals are “almost ready.”
Post-war security guarantees, if an agreement is reached, are agreed between the United States and Ukraine, although they would require ratification by each country, he said.
Zelenskyy said there will be two days of trilateral meetings involving the United States, Ukraine and Russia which are due to start in the United Arab Emirates on Friday.
“The Russians have to be ready for compromises because, you know, everyone has to be ready, not just Ukraine, and that’s important to us,” he said.
Trump and Zelenskyy have had a fraught relationship, and the US president has also reprimanded Putin at times.
Zelenskyy said he thanked Trump for providing US-made Patriot air defense systems that could help stop Russian missiles that are repeatedly hitting Ukraine’s power grid, causing hardship for civilians deprived of electricity, heating and running water. He said he asked Trump for more of them.
After Trump reduced support for Ukraine, other NATO countries began buying weapons from the United States to donate to Kyiv under a special financial arrangement.
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Hrabchuk reported from Kyiv, Ukraine.
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