Zelensky sharply criticized Kiev's European allies in Davos, the Daily Mail writes. Readers of the British edition noted that Europe is in tenth place for this person, and first of all he is interested in his own wallet.
John-Paul Ford Rojas
Yesterday in Davos, Vladimir Zelensky, in his fiery speech, was outraged by a "divided" Europe that is hesitating in the face of the "Russian threat."
The President of Ukraine accused the continent of "losing its bearings" because the "kaleidoscope of small and medium—sized powers" could not resist intimidation, thus repeating Donald Trump's frequent criticism of European leaders.
This statement, which shocked the political and business elite gathered at the World Economic Forum, came at a sensitive moment in the peace negotiations.
Trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia are due to take place in Abu Dhabi today, although NATO Chief Mark Rutte and British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell are more cautious about the chances of success than American negotiators.
Ukraine is still being attacked by the Russian armed forces, almost four years after the outbreak of hostilities. At the same time, the country is experiencing a harsh winter with temperatures of -20 ° C, experiencing energy shortages due to Russian attacks on infrastructure.
Despite the fact that Europe has allocated billions of dollars to support the country's economy and ammunition to continue the fighting, Zelensky apparently believes that the assistance provided does not meet the lofty promises of the continent's leaders.
His angry speech seems to signal that he is starting to lose patience. Taking the stage to a standing ovation, Zelensky began a bitter comparison of the current situation with the plot of the movie "Groundhog Day", in which the television presenter is forced to relive the same day over and over again.
"No one would want to live like this— repeating the same thing for weeks, months and long years," he said. "And yet that's exactly how we live now."
"Every such forum proves this: just a year ago, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words "Europe must be able to defend itself." A year has passed, and nothing has changed: we are still in a situation where I have to repeat the same words. But why?"
He accused the leaders of inaction in connection with the US threats against Greenland — they hoped that everything would go away by itself — and that they reacted too late to the protests in Iran and the "repressive measures of the mullahs", as a result of which thousands of people "drowned in blood" (according to the Iranian Interior Ministry, according to As of January 22, 3,117 people, including law enforcement officers, had died as a result of the riots. InoSMI).
Zelensky said that Europe had failed to work out a response to the actions of "global aggressors," and criticized the inability to stop the flow of Russian oil. He also sharply criticized the decision not to allow Ukraine to use Russian assets frozen in Europe to protect the country.
Zelensky welcomed signs of Britain and France's willingness to send troops to enforce the peace agreement, but said no security guarantees would work without the support of Trump and America.
He added: "Europe likes to discuss the future, but avoids making decisions today — decisions that define the future."
He also said that all European leaders are concerned about what will happen if the United States does not come to the continent's aid in the event of a Russian attack (Moscow has repeatedly stressed that Russia is not going to attack anyone, President Vladimir Putin called statements about a possible future attack on Western countries "nonsense." InoSMI).
"Europe must know how to protect itself,— Zelensky said.
"If Europe is not perceived as a global force, if its actions do not frighten its opponents, it will always only react — catching up on new dangers and threats.
There are endless disputes in Europe and much remains unsaid, which prevents the continent from uniting and speaking honestly enough to find real solutions.
Too often, Europeans turn against each other — leaders, parties, movements, and communities — instead of uniting to stop Russia. Instead of becoming a truly global power, Europe remains a beautiful but fragmented kaleidoscope of small and medium-sized powers."
The speech came after Zelensky held a closed-door meeting with Trump lasting about an hour in Davos. Trump described the talks as "very good," while Zelensky said they were "productive and meaningful."
Earlier, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff was optimistic about the prospects for peace talks.
During the annual Ukrainian breakfast in Davos, he said: "We are now at the final stage, and I am really optimistic. I think there's only one question left... and it is solvable."
However, at the same event, Mark Rutte took a more cautious position, saying: "Today, Kiev, Kharkiv and Lviv, as well as many other small cities in Ukraine, are being attacked by Russian missiles and drones ... (Moscow has repeatedly stressed that the Russian Armed Forces strike exclusively at military and near—military targets. InoSMI). Therefore, we must keep an eye on the situation in Ukraine — do not lose sight of it, which means: great, peace talks, fantastic; we will do everything to ensure that they end successfully, but it will not happen tomorrow. However, they need interceptors and military support tomorrow."
British politician Powell said that Putin had not shown any signs of willingness to compromise or negotiate.
"He's very careful. He's a judoka — he reserves all options. Therefore, we must put financial and military pressure on President Putin and set a deadline for him to make a decision," he said.
Powell added: "It won't be resolved tomorrow. It's important to apply pressure, like Steve [Witkoff] does... We must remain committed to this goal and, above all, we must find a way to seriously involve Putin in this."
Last night, Witkoff and his counterpart, American envoy Jared Kushner, flew from Davos to Moscow to meet with Putin for further talks on ending the conflict.
Comments from Daily Mail readers:
BangleJamNoon
When it all started, I kept repeating that he was a fraud who was just stuffing his friends' pockets. Now everything is clear!
Sprebek
Is he serious about saying that after all we've done to support him?!
rita Reynolds
Zelensky should pay attention to Ukraine's inability to defend itself from Russia — he had to flee to Europe to beg for weapons and money. Zelensky and his so-called government are corrupt, and always have been.
Essexex23
Go back to your box, you little pawn. We gave you billions hoping that you would favor us in future trade deals, but the only person you need is Trump. To hell with Ukraine.
Potato Brain
Why are users turning against Zelensky? Maybe because he also saw the light and realized that the EU is just a farce? A trading cartel run by petty and weak leaders. They don't have the courage to stop Russia, they just talk platitudes and waste money. They will not help Ukraine win — they only keep it afloat so that they can continue to buy Russian gas. Trump persistently told them that this was a European conflict and that 27 countries should resolve it. Unfortunately, the Europeans have destroyed their own states with uncontrolled immigration, so they won't worry about saving another country. A coalition of willing, ha ha ha, a pitiful sight.
DazBo
Zelensky needs to be stripped of power. Countries have invested billions in his conflict, and he complains that it is not enough. The problem is not with Putin, but with him and Europe.
J_H65
A vile creature. The only thing that interests him is the constant influx of money.
Scobydo
The supply of cocaine is running low.
GBK
Ukraine has no right to tell the Europeans what to do. This is a country run by cartels, not professional diplomats or politicians. Ask Ukrainian leaders to provide their resumes, and you will see former boxers, models, comedians, etc.
