Zelensky criticises Europe at WEF, says deal on US security guarantees is 'finished'
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised Europe and NATO for what he described as a lack of decisive action against Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He also announced a deal on US security guarantees and trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US, a first since the war began in 2022.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Zelensky argued that European countries were too divided and overly dependent on the US. "Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking action today," he said.
He questioned why the US was able to act more forcefully. "Why can president Trump stop shadow fleet tankers and seize oil, but Europe cannot?" he asked, pointing to Russian oil tankers sailing along European coasts and generating revenue for Moscow. "If Putin has no money, there is no war," he added.
"Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking action today"
The Ukrainian leader further criticised the lack of progress on the use of frozen Russian assets, including those held at Euroclear. Zelensky did not explicitly mention Belgium, where most of the assets are held, but the country has been among the strongest opponents of using them.
After his speech, Zelensky announced that he and Trump had reached an agreement on security guarantees by the US. The two met in Davos on Thursday for about an hour, according to the White House. Zelensky added that the agreement was "finished" but still needs to be formally ratified by Kyiv and Washington.
Finally, he announced that representatives of the US, Ukraine and Russia woudl take part in a trilateral meeting on Friday and Saturday in the United Arab Emirates to discuss conditions for ending the war. According to Zelensky, this will be the first meeting involving delegations from all three countries.
He added that there was still no solution for the contested Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, the majority of which is occupied by Russia. This is the most difficult part of the negotiations, he admitted. The issue will be discussed during the trilateral talks this weekend.
© PHOTO FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP
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