Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted Europe at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, yesterday, saying its leaders lack of action on Russian aggression was like “Groundhog Day.”
“Just 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,” Zelensky said.
“Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking action today, action that defines what kind of future we will have.”
President Trump meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22, 2026. X account of Volodymyr Zelensky/AFP via Getty Images
Zelensky added that Europe “remains a beautiful but fragmented kaleidoscope of small and middle powers” when it should instead be “taking the lead in defending freedom worldwide.”
While Zelensky said that Europe alone could not guarantee Ukraine’s security, he expressed optimism about peace talks. He announced that two days of trilateral meetings between Ukraine, Russia and the US will kick off in the Emirates starting this weekend, just after US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner meet with Putin in Moscow.
“We are at the end now,” Witkoff told reporters on the sidelines of Davos this morning, expressing optimism on the talks. “I think we’ve got it down to one issue, and we have discussed iterations of that issue, and that means it’s solvable.”
President Trump Zelensky met behind closed doors on the sidelines of Davos.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are seen at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 22, 2026. POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin welcomes US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 22, 2026. POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Zelensky compared his experience at Davos to the movie “Groundhog’s Day” — because nothing has changed with Europe’s lack of action against Russia since last year’s conference. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock
The two leaders did not take questions or pose for media photos ahead of the hour-long sitdown, with Trump briefly emerging to speak to reporters following the meeting.
“I think the meeting was good,” the American president said, adding that his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin was that the almost four-year-old war between Russia and Ukraine “has to end.”
“We hope it’s going to end. A lot of people killed. Last year they had 30,000 people killed — 30,000 mostly soldiers. And it’s really a war that has to end,” he added.
“We have a ways to go. They’re meeting with President Putin today, as you know,” Trump said, likely referring to Witkoff and Kushner traveling to Moscow Friday. “The meeting was good with President Zelensky. We’ll see how it turns out.”
Trump said his meeting with Zelensky at Davos was “good.” UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock
Still talking
This past weekend, Ukrainian officials traveled to Miami to meet with Witkoff and Kushner to try yet again to iron out details of security guarantees meant to deter future Russian aggression.
Last month, Zelensky announced he would agree to the establishment of a demilitarized “free economic zone” in the eastern Donbas region, Ukraine’s industrial heartland, in exchange for Russia agreeing to halt its invasion. That plan would preclude Kyiv having to formally recognize any Ukrainian land as Russian