The entire Trumpist obsession with Greenland has completely overshadowed Ukraine on the agenda, something that the Kremlin has celebrated, even Kiril Dimitriev, Putin's negotiator, as shown on his X account. For this reason, Volodymyr Zelensky pointed the finger at Europe in a speech delivered in Davos on Thursday, accusing leaders of being in "Greenland mode", as they hide behind "Donald Trump's leadership in Ukraine" and other geopolitical crises instead of taking action themselves.
"Nobody even talks about it, but Russian missiles and Shahed drones are still here, and we still have the coordinates of the factories where they are manufactured. Today, they are attacking Ukraine. Tomorrow, it could be any NATO country. And here in Europe, they advise us not to mention the Tomahawks. Not even talk about Tomahawks to the Americans? To not dampen their spirits? And they tell us not to mention the Taurus missiles. When it comes to Turkey, diplomats say, "Don't offend Greece." When it comes to Greece, they say, "Be careful with Turkey." In Europe, there are endless internal discussions and things left unsaid that prevent Europe from uniting and speaking with enough honesty to find real solutions," said the President of Ukraine.
In addition to meeting with Trump, in a face-to-face that was "very good" as both commented, the President of Ukraine later delivered a speech and took the opportunity to slam European paralysis: "Last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words: Europe needs to know how to defend itself," stated the Ukrainian President at the World Economic Forum. "A year has passed and nothing has changed." The Greenland crisis, still unresolved, has coincided with the toughest days for the Ukrainian population, victims of the worst bombings by Vladimir Putin's Russia, leaving most Ukrainian cities without electricity and heating in the midst of a cold wave, with nights where the thermometer drops below -15 degrees.
Zelensky added in his harsh speech, with visible frustration: "Europe continues in Greenland mode: maybe someone somewhere will do something." The reality is that Europe has reacted to threats of occupying the icy island "by hook or by crook" when in a European country these threats become real every day with bombings that have quadrupled since Trump took office. At times, Zelensky appeared very angry in Davos with the West: "They take Nicolás Maduro to court, but not Putin"
Zelensky's speech also addressed Trump's extraordinary demands for the United States to take control of Greenland, largely avoiding criticizing the US President, instead blaming Europeans for remaining at the mercy of an increasingly unpredictable White House.
"Dear friends, we must not play secondary roles, not when we have the opportunity to be a great power together. We must not accept that Europe is just a salad of small and medium powers seasoned with enemies of Europe when, united, we are truly invincible. And Europe can and must be a global force," affirmed the Ukrainian leader.
Zelensky also referred to Iran, a country that has helped arm the Russians with their missiles and drones: "There was much talk of protests in Iran, but they were drowned in blood. The world has not helped the Iranian people enough; they have been left on their own. By the time politicians began to form positions, the Ayatollah had already killed thousands of people. What will Iran become after this bloodshed? If the regime survives, it will send a clear signal to all aggressors: if they kill enough people, they will remain in power."
Regarding the meeting with Trump, Zelensky stated that US, Ukrainian, and Russian officials would hold trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi this weekend, but the Ukrainian president's team and individuals familiar with the matter have not yet confirmed a trilateral meeting on the Russian side. It is possible, but not confirmed. Additionally, the Ukrainian President made it clear that the issue of the eastern territories of Ukraine claimed by Moscow "is still unresolved" within the framework of negotiations to end the war.
"Everything revolves around the eastern part of our country. Everything revolves around the territories. It is the problem that we have not yet solved," declared Zelensky in a press conference on the sidelines of the Davos Economic Forum.
According to The Financial Times, the documents discussed with US officials before the summit remained inconclusive and unsigned. Trump left the Swiss resort after an hour-long meeting with the Ukrainian President without reaching any agreement.