Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a rebuke of European leaders Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, accusing the continent of chronic inaction and urging allies to match American decisiveness in confronting Russia.
The speech, delivered after a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, stood in stark contrast to his usual tone toward European allies. He opened by invoking the 1993 film “Groundhog Day” to describe what he characterized as Europe’s stagnant response to the war.
“Everyone remembers the great American film Groundhog Day with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell…repeating the same thing for weeks, months, and of course for years,” Zelensky said. “And yet, that’s exactly how we live now.”
Zelensky told the audience he ended his Davos address last year by saying Europe needs to know how to defend itself. “A year has passed and nothing has changed.”
The Ukrainian president’s sharpest criticism centered on what he described as Europe’s preference for discussion over decisive action, contrasting it with recent U.S. operations.
“Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking action today, action that defines what kind of future we will have,” Zelensky said. “That is the problem.”
He pointed specifically to the Trump administration’s seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers as an example Europe should follow. “Why can President Trump stop tankers from the shadow fleet and seize oil? But Europe doesn’t. Russian oil is being transported right along European shores. That oil funds the war against Ukraine. That oil helps destabilize Europe, so Russian oil must be stopped and confiscated and sold for Europe’s benefit. Why not?”
Within hours of his comments, the French navy, with British assistance, intercepted a Russian-flagged tanker in the Mediterranean. The vessel, sailing under a Comoros flag, was suspected of operating as part of Russia’s shadow fleet.
New footage published by the French Navy from yesterday’s interception, boarding, and seizure of the stateless sanctioned crude oil tanker, M/T GRINCH – part of Russia’s Shadow Fleet – in the Western Mediterranean near the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco. pic.twitter.com/hCL7U0csuR
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 23, 2026
“Thank you, France! Thank you, @EmmanuelMacron! This is exactly the kind of resolve needed to ensure that Russian oil no longer finances Russia’s war,” Zelensky wrote on X in response.
Zelensky also faulted European leaders for their delayed response to protests in Iran, noting that by the time politicians returned from holiday celebrations, “the Ayatollah had already killed thousands.”
“Europe hasn’t even tried to build its own response,” he said.
He also criticized Europe’s response to Trump’s interest in Greenland, noting that sending 40 soldiers to the territory “will not protect anything” and sends no meaningful message to Russia, China, or even Denmark.
“Europe must learn how to defend itself. Sending 14 or 40 soldiers to Greenland, what is that meant to achieve? What message does that send to Putin? To China? And perhaps most importantly, what message does it send to Denmark?”
Trump Meeting and Trilateral Talks
Zelensky announced that the security guarantees agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine was essentially “finished” and awaiting signature, though he did not disclose specific terms.
“Now I am waiting for Trump to provide the date and place. We are ready to sign such an important and historic document,” Zelensky said.
He also revealed that the United Arab Emirates would host the first trilateral talks between Ukrainian, American, and Russian negotiators Friday and Saturday.
Footage from today’s trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia in Abu Dhabi shows negotiations that participants described as serious and direct. A senior White House official told Suspilne the talks were “productive,” while other sources said they were… pic.twitter.com/IaKp8JFn7B
— GMan (Ґленн) ☘️🇬🇧🇺🇦🇺🇸🇵🇱🇮🇱🍊🌻 (@FAB87F) January 24, 2026
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner flew to Moscow Thursday to meet with Putin before the Abu Dhabi talks. The Kremlin described those discussions as “substantive and frank.”
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian officials, including President Putin.
The two parties are set to discuss the Gaza Board of Peace and the settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war. pic.twitter.com/tr4mNXwaj7
— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) January 22, 2026
Trump also described his meeting with Zelensky as “very good” and reiterated that a peace deal was “close.”
Praise for Select Allies
While broadly critical, Zelensky singled out British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron for their commitment to deploy forces on Ukrainian soil after a ceasefire.
“Thank you, Keir. Thanks, Emmanuel, and all the leaders in our coalition,” Zelensky said. “We are doing everything to make sure that our Coalition of the Willing truly becomes a coalition of action.”
He also thanked European Union leadership for deciding to freeze Russian assets indefinitely but noted that when the time came to use those assets against Russian aggression, “the decision was blocked.”
“Putin managed to stop Europe, unfortunately,” Zelensky said. “It is Putin who is deciding how the frozen Russian assets should be used.”
The speech received a standing ovation from Davos delegates.
“No intellectual discussions are capable of stopping wars. We need action. World order comes from action,” Zelensky concluded. “Without action now, there is no tomorrow. Let’s end this Groundhog Day.”
