Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used a World Economic Forum address Thursday, delivered after his office said he met with President Donald Trump in Davos, Switzerland, to press European leaders to strengthen their own defenses and argued Ukraine could help protect places such as Greenland if it were in NATO.
In the speech, Zelenskyy criticized what he described as European hesitation on security questions and urged Europe to build "united armed forces" that could defend the continent without relying entirely on the United States.
Zelenskyy spoke soon after a meeting with Trump in Davos that Zelenskyy's office described as "productive and substantive." His office said he welcomed Trump's comments on strengthening Ukraine's air defenses against Russian attacks.
His remarks were framed by referencing the 1993 film "Groundhog Day," saying he had warned at the forum in 2025 that "Europe needs to know how to defend itself" and that "nothing has changed" a year later.
He pointed to Europe's response to Trump's "advances on Greenland" as an example of what he argued was a European lack of decisiveness.
Zelenskyy also mentioned Iran, saying European leaders were distracted while "the regime in Iran slaughtered its own people," and argued that if "the regime survives," it would encourage other authoritarian leaders, adding that Europe should apply lessons from Belarus, arguing that stronger European action in 2020 could have prevented Russian missiles from being deployed there later.
He contrasted that inaction with what he described as swift U.S. action against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
He said, "Maduro is on trial in New York. Sorry, but Putin is not," calling attention to his view that Russian President Vladimir Putin has faced insufficient accountability for the war in Ukraine, while complaining that the International Criminal Court has not established a special tribunal focused on what he called Putin's war crimes.
Zelenskyy said that while Europe blocked Putin's access to frozen funds, Europe should have used that money to defend Ukraine.
Zelenskyy questioned whether NATO would act quickly in a crisis and asked who would respond if Russia targeted countries such as Lithuania or Poland.
He said European defense spending has risen only recently, attributing that shift to Trump's pressure on allies, arguing that U.S. backing remains essential, saying that "the backstop of President Trump is needed" and "no security guarantees work without the U.S."
He also offered Ukraine's experience at sea as a potential asset for Greenland's security, saying, "They can sink near Greenland, as they do near Crimea. No problem," adding that Ukraine could fight there "if we were asked, and if Ukraine were in NATO. But we are not."
"You can't build a new world order out of words. Only actions create a world order," he said, crediting Trump for making courageous moves such as his new Board of Peace while the Europeans, in his view, dawdled.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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