Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s president, all around the World Financial Discussion board (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.
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Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has accused Europe of being “lost” and making an try to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to aid them, in place of uniting to protect itself.
“Instead of taking the lead in defending freedom worldwide, especially when America’s focus shifts elsewhere, Europe looks lost trying to convince the U.S. president to change,” he acknowledged in a strongly worded take care of on the World Financial Discussion board in Davos, Switzerland, after nearly four years of battle with Russia.
“President Trump loves who he is, and he says he loves Europe, but he will not listen to this kind of Europe,” Zelenskyy acknowledged. He had met Trump in deepest quickly earlier than his speech.
“Europe still feels more like geography, history, a tradition, not a real political force, not a great power,” Zelenskyy added.
“Some Europeans are really strong, it’s true, but many say ‘we must stand strong’, and they always want someone else to tell them how long they need to stand strong, preferably until the next election.”

Zelenskyy also revealed there could maybe be trilateral meetings within the United Arab Emirates on Friday and Saturday energetic Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. He added the Russians “have to be ready for compromises” for the battle to cease.
‘Nothing has changed’
In a week where the point of curiosity in Davos has been on U.S. threats to annex Greenland, its tariffs on European worldwide locations and a fresh Gaza “Board of Peace,” Zelenskyy started his speech announcing Europe’s enlighten of being inactive left his nation feeling savor it used to be residing through “Groundhog Day.”
Zelenskyy acknowledged: “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. We are still in a situation where I must say the same words.”
“When united, we are truly invincible, and Europe can and must be a global force, not one that reacts late,” he added.
A bruise can even be considered on the befriend of U.S. President Donald Trump’s left hand all over a signing ceremony for the “Board of Peace” on the World Financial Discussion board (WEF) on January 22, 2026 in Davos, Switzerland.
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Trump’s maneuvering on Greenland used to be the backdrop to many politicians’ speeches on the gathering. Zelenskyy criticized the cramped replacement of soldiers NATO worldwide locations despatched to the Arctic island amid Trump’s threats.
“If you send 30 or 40 soldiers to Greenland, what is that for? What message does it send? What’s the message to Putin? To China? And even more importantly, what message does it send to Denmark?
“You either repeat that European bases will defend the place from Russia and China …. otherwise you risk now not being taken critically, on story of 30 or 40 soldiers will now not defend anything else.”
Other pressing issues have been sidelined while European leaders were “looking ahead to The US to frigid down” on Greenland, Zelenskyy suggested.
“There used to be so mighty focus on the protests in Iran, however they drowned in blood. The area has now not helped enough the Iranian folks,” he said.