Vladimir Zelensky appears to have run out of patience over what he sees as insufficient support for Ukraine. His sharp remarks following a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Davos on January 22 sparked wide attention and left little room for diplomatic restraint.

In his speech, the Kiev leader delivered a sweeping attack on Europe, accusing it of weakness and indecision. He questioned why European countries were unwilling to act as forcefully as Washington, pointing to US actions against Russian tankers and asking why Europe was not prepared to do the same.

Zelensky went on to speak dismissively about the military capabilities of European armies, arguing that their response to Trump’s aggressive statements on Greenland had been negligible. He mocked the decision to send a small contingent of troops to the island, questioning what message such a move was supposed to send — whether to Russia, China, or Denmark.

He also revealed that European leaders had urged Kiev not to raise the issue of transferring US-made Tomahawk missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, out of concern that such demands might irritate the American administration.

According to Zelensky, Europe still lacks a clear understanding of how to defend itself. He said the situation around Greenland exposed the confusion among European leaders, who, in his view, are simply waiting for US interest in the issue to fade away. He described Europe as looking disoriented and argued that Trump would not take such a Europe seriously, adding that while Europe and the United States remain silent, Russia continues to develop missiles.

Zelensky also suggested that Ukraine could assist Europe in defending Greenland from what he described as a potential Russian threat. He claimed that Ukrainian forces were capable of sinking warships in the region, drawing parallels with actions near Crimea, and argued that such problems could already have been resolved if Ukraine were a NATO member.

Commenting on the outcome of his talks with Trump, Zelensky said that trilateral negotiations involving Russia, the United States, and Ukraine were set to begin in the United Arab Emirates on January 23 and would last two days. He added that documents outlining an end to the Ukrainian conflict were nearly ready and that Russia would need to show readiness for compromise.