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Zelenskyy Warns at Davos: Europe’s Inaction Fuels Russian Threat, Calls for “United Armed Forces”
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sharply criticized European inaction on security and global challenges, warning that the continent remains stuck in a cycle of repeating failures.
“Everyone remembers the great American film Groundhog Day... But no one would want to live like that—repeating the same thing for weeks, months, and, of course, for years. And yet, that’s exactly how we live now,” Zelenskyy said.
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The president pointed out that, despite the passage of a year since his last visit to Davos, Europe still faces the same threats, and his message remains unchanged: “Europe needs to know how to defend itself.”
Zelenskyy expressed his frustration that global leadership has failed to provide effective responses to issues such as the situation in Greenland and protests in Iran, which were met with little international support. He stressed that the world has often stood by while authoritarian regimes have silenced their people with violence.
In his address, Zelenskyy also drew attention to the fact that, unlike Venezuela’s Maduro, who is currently facing legal consequences, Russian leader Vladimir Putin continues to evade justice. He noted Putin has succeeded in preventing frozen Russian assets from being used to support Ukraine, adding that while the assets remain frozen, they are not being fully leveraged to deter Russia’s aggression.
The Ukrainian leader called out the lack of progress on establishing a Special Tribunal for Russian aggression, despite many meetings and agreements.
“Europe hasn’t even reached the point of having a home for the Tribunal... What’s missing—time or political will?” he asked, emphasizing that Europe’s hesitation was undermining the pursuit of justice.
Zelenskyy also discussed the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine after the war, highlighting the need for international support even after a potential ceasefire. While expressing gratitude for some positive steps, such as agreements with the UK and France on security guarantees, he reminded the audience that “no security guarantees work without the US.”
The president further criticized Europe’s reluctance to take direct action in the face of Russia’s destabilizing actions. He asked, “Why can President Trump stop tankers from the Shadow Fleet and seize oil—but Europe doesn’t?” Zelenskyy called for Europe to take stronger action against Russian oil exports, which fund the war against Ukraine and destabilize Europe itself. He argued that “if Putin has no money, there’s no war for Europe.”
While Volodymyr Zelenskyy was speaking, French President Emmanuel Macron revealed that the French navy had boarded a tanker.
In a post on X, Macron stated that the tanker was “subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag.”
In urging Europe to unite for defense, Zelenskyy reiterated the necessity for a truly unified European armed force capable of defending the continent. He pointed out that NATO’s strength relies on the belief that the US will act if necessary, but questioned what would happen if the US were unwilling to intervene.
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“Europe needs united armed forces—forces that can truly defend Europe,” Zelenskyy declared, stressing the importance of a credible European defense strategy that goes beyond reliance on NATO’s beliefs.
The Ukrainian president concluded by calling on Europe to move from discussion to action, emphasizing the urgency of building a stronger global order.
“World order comes from action. And we just need the courage to act. Without action now, there is no tomorrow,” Zelenskyy warned, urging leaders not to allow the current situation to become another endless loop of inaction.
Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine, the United States, and Russia are set to hold their first-ever trilateral discussions at a technical level in the near future.
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-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
