In a fiery speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused European leaders of being in “Greenland mode” – waiting for direction from the unpredictable Donald Trump rather than taking decisive action on pressing geopolitical issues like the war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy, who met with Trump earlier this week to discuss the stalled peace talks, said that Europe remains complacent and inactive in the face of Russian aggression. He called on European nations to apply greater pressure on the Kremlin and to build a “united armed force” that could defend the continent.
“Everyone gave attention to Greenland, and it is clear most leaders are not sure what to do about it. It seems like everyone is just waiting for America to cool down on this topic, hoping it will pass away. But what if it [does] not: what then?” Zelenskyy said in his speech.
The Ukrainian president suggested that his country could help defend Europe in the event of a Russian invasion of Greenland, saying “We know what to do if Russian warships go near Greenland, Ukraine can help with that. They can sink near Greenland just as they do near Crimea.”
Zelenskyy’s comments come as the US has dispatched its envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin in the latest effort to advance peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian leader expressed scepticism, saying Russia must be “ready for compromises… not just Ukraine.”
“For us, it’s understandable that we will be on this [peace] board when the war will end,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Trump’s newly established “board of peace” to manage the conflict in Gaza. “For now, we are enemies [with the Russians]. Belarus is an ally of the Russian. We can’t be with them.”
Zelenskyy’s call for a more muscular European response to the threats posed by Russia underscores the growing frustration in Kyiv with the perceived inaction of its Western allies. As Ukraine endures a bitter winter with Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure, the Ukrainian president is urging Europe to step up and defend itself.