DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) 鈥� Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted his European allies Thursday for what he portrayed as the continent鈥檚 slow, fragmented and inadequate response to nearly four years ago and its .
Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Zelenskyy listed a litany of grievances and criticisms of Europe that he said have left Ukraine at the mercy of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid an ongoing .
鈥淓urope looks lost,鈥� Zelenskyy said in his speech, urging the continent to become a global force. He contrasted Europe鈥檚 response with Washington鈥檚 bold steps in Venezuela and Iran.
The former comic actor referred to the movie 鈥淕roundhog Day,鈥� in which the main character must relive the same day over and over again.
鈥淛ust last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words: Europe needs to know how to defend itself. A year has passed. And nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I must say the same words again,鈥� Zelenskyy said.
He said that Ukrainians, too, seem caught in that reality in the war, “repeating the same thing for weeks, months and, of course, for years. And yet that is exactly how we live now. It鈥檚 our life.鈥�
European countries, which see their own future defense at stake in the war on its eastern flank, have provided financial, military and humanitarian support for Kyiv, but not all members of the 27-nation European Union are helping. Ukraine also has been frustrated by political disagreements within Europe over how to deal with Russia, as well as the bloc鈥檚 at times slow-moving responses.
A meeting with Trump
His speech came after he met behind closed doors for about an hour in with U.S. President Donald Trump, who described the talks as 鈥渧ery good.鈥� Zelenskyy called them 鈥減roductive and meaningful.鈥�
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington from Davos, Trump said his meeting with Zelenskyy went well, adding that the Ukrainian president told him he wants to make a deal to end the war.
鈥淚 had a good meeting, but I鈥檝e had numerous good meetings with President Zelenskyy and it doesn鈥檛 seem to happen,鈥� he said.
Trump noted that both Putin and Zelenskyy want to reach a deal and that 鈥渆veryone鈥檚 making concessions鈥� to try to end the war.
He said the sticking points in talks remain the same as they鈥檝e been during talks held during the past six or seven months, noting 鈥渂oundaries鈥� was a key issue. 鈥淭he main hold-up is the same things that鈥檚 been holding it up for the last year,鈥� he said.
Trump said he and Zelenskyy talked about how Ukrainians were surviving the cold winter without heat.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really tough for the people of Ukraine,鈥� Trump said, noting that it was 鈥渁mazing鈥� how residents have been able to persevere through the winter facing relentless Russian strikes. 鈥淚t鈥檚 no way to live,鈥� he said.
Russia鈥檚 bigger army has managed to capture about 20% of Ukraine since hostilities began in 2014 and its full-scale invasion of 2022. But the battlefield gains along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line have been costly for Moscow, and the Russian economy is of the war and international sanctions.
Ukraine is short of money and, despite significantly boosting its own arms manufacturing, still needs Western weaponry. It is also short-handed on the front line. Its defense minister some 200,000 troop desertions and draft-dodging by about 2 million Ukrainians.
Zelenskyy is also striving to keep the world’s attention focused on Ukraine despite other conflicts.
Zelenskyy cites inaction on key decisions
He chided Europe for being slow to act on key decisions, spending too little on defense, failing to stop Russia鈥檚 that are breaking international sanctions, and balking at using in Europe to finance Ukraine, among other things.
Europe, he said, 鈥渟till feels more like a geography, history, a tradition, not a real political force, not a great power.鈥�
鈥淪ome Europeans are really strong, it鈥檚 true, but many say we must stand strong, and they always want someone else to tell them how long they need to stand strong, preferably until the next election,鈥� he said.
The Trump administration is pushing for a peace settlement, with its envoys shuttling between Kyiv and Moscow in a flurry of negotiations that some worry could force Ukraine into an unfavorable deal.
A meeting in Moscow
Trump鈥檚 special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow late Thursday and sat for talks with Putin for more than 3 hours, according to the Kremlin.
One major issue remains to be resolved in negotiations, Witkoff said at Davos, without saying what it was. Zelenskyy said the future status of land in eastern Ukraine currently occupied by Russia is unresolved but that peace proposals are 鈥渘early ready.鈥�
Postwar security guarantees, should a deal be reached, are agreed between the U.S. and Ukraine, although they would require each country’s ratification, he said.
Zelenskyy said two days of trilateral meetings involving the U.S., Ukraine and Russia are due to begin Friday in the United Arab Emirates.
鈥淩ussians have to be ready for compromises because, you know, everybody has to be ready, not only Ukraine, and this is important for us,鈥� he said.
Trump and Zelenskyy have had a , and the American president has
Zelenskyy said he thanked Trump for providing U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems that can help stop Russian missiles that are repeatedly hitting Ukraine鈥檚 power grid, causing denied light, heating and running water. He said he asked Trump for more of them.
After Trump cut support for Ukraine, other NATO countries began buying weapons from the U.S. to donate to Kyiv under a .
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Hrabchuk reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Josh Boak on Air Force One, Meg Kinnard in Houston and Ali Swenson from Washington contributed to this report.
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