Zelensky Blasts Europe's Inaction, Paralysis As Greenland Sideshow Consumes Attention
"Europe loves to discuss the future but avoids taking action today." As Bloomberg has described it, a visibly angry Zelensky Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tore into European leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. "Where is the line of leaders who are ready to act?" he questioned.
Highlighting that his own capital is in the midst of a power and water crisis after nightly Russian bombardment, Zelensky shamed European capitals for being unwilling to stop Putin, now nearly four years into the war. This included emphasis on the failed push to outright seize frozen Russian assets in Europe. Is he taking a page from Trump's playbook, taking the opportunity to blame and lash out at Europe? The talk had themes of a fragmented Europe which looks lost in the face of much stronger and more decisive US power and Trump's demands.
"Why can President Trump stop tankers from the shadow fleet and seize oil, when Europe doesn't?" Zelensky posed. "If Putin has no money, there is no war for Europe."
"We should not accept that Europe is just a salad of small and middle powers, seasoned with enemies of Europe," Zelensky continued. "When Ukraine is with you, no one will wipe their feet on you. And you will always have a way to act – and act in time."
"To defend our land is a very expensive task," he had also said during the later Q&A session. Zelensky mentioned that in his meeting with President Donald Trump earlier in the day, which lasted about an hour, he left as his final communication to Trump that Ukraine desperately needs more anti-air defenses, especially Patriot missiles.
Trump for his part had said it was a good meeting, and that "Everybody wants to have the war end," - but that he'll have to "see what happens," adding that the US is meeting with Russia tomorrow.
In Zelensky's speech he interestingly alluded to distractions currently facing global leaders, including Greenland and Iran. He paralleled the deadly Iran protests with the world's 'inaction' in Ukraine. He went so far as to charge global leaders of not wanting to extend support for Iranians, "and the democracy they need".
"When you refuse to help people fighting for freedom, the consequences return - and they are always negative," Zelensky said. According to more:
Zelensky then moves on to international discussion about the Iranian protests, which he says has "drowned in blood".
Linking the example of the US's capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, he comes back to the impasse over Ukraine, saying that while Maduro is in New York awaiting trial, "Putin is not".
On Greenland, he said European leaders seem to believe someone else will do something to resolve the issue. Still, everyone is "waiting for America to cool down on this topic, waiting for it to pass away," he said.
One interesting moment came in Zelensky's introductory remarks, in which he referenced the early 1990s film Groundhog Day - where the lead character repeats the same day over and over again.
"No one wants to live like that," Zelensky observed, "repeating the same thing for weeks, months, years. And that's how we live now."
Meanwhile, while Zelensky spoke in Davos...
Despite the change in tone and sentiment when addressing Europe, there's not much even the 'coalition of the willing' can do in the face of Zelensky's impassioned plea - which was also filled with frustration. If the Western alliance keeps poking Russia too strongly, the bear will react in even bigger ways - already as each side is trying to keep a lid on prior nuclear threats and rhetoric.
No comments:
Post a Comment