In Davos, Volodymyr Zelensky urged Europe not to settle for a secondary role in supporting Ukraine. As the war is about to enter its fourth year, kyiv is emphasizing the need for transatlantic unity to achieve a just peace.
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Europe cannot afford to be its allies’ second or third partner, Ukrainian president says Volodymyr Zelensky in his Davos speech, once again issuing a stark warning to the continent.
The message could not be more urgent: Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine, now in its third year, remains within everyone’s reach. Battles involving North Korean soldiers now take place in locations geographically closer to Davos than to Pyongyangsaid the Ukrainian leader.
The head of his administration, Andriy Yermaktold Euronews that Ukraine needs the continent’s support to end the war it never wanted to happen.
“We are victims of this aggression and we really want to restore a just peace. We want to end this war. But of course, this year in Davos, the president’s speech and his address were specifically aimed at this momentum and the Europe,” Mr. Yermak explained.
Zelensky’s speech in Davos came just one day after the US president’s inauguration Donald Trumpand the kyiv authorities remain confident that the new US administration will support Ukraine.
“We appreciate the desire of the President of the United States and the new administration to really make this a reality and end the war with a just peace,” Yermak said. Faced with Russia’s aggression, “it is necessary to be together: Europe, the United States with Ukraine, and move towards peace through force”.
During the presidential debate, Mr. Trump refused to say whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war against Russia, avoiding a direct question on the subject. He declared, “I want the war to stop,” saying he can end it in 24 hours.
-Mr. Yermak said there was no need to overanalyze Mr. Trump’s speech or look for hidden meaning in it.
“Everyone understands that it is necessary to end this war with a just peace. For our part, we have always said that victory equals a just peace. This means that for us there is no no alternative,” Mr. Yermak said.
As for the US president’s other promise to end the war in one day, Mr. Yermak preferred not to mention a timetable.
“I don’t think anyone on this planet knows exactly when this war will be over. If it was up to Ukraine and the entire democratic world, it would be over tomorrow.”
Yet Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin want this war, he says, and their plan – to take control of an entire neighboring country by force, but also to undermine European values and its democratic order – remains the same.
“This is war for Russia: it is not a war for territory, it is a war against democracy and it is a war against the free world”explained Mr. Yermak.
“And I am absolutely certain that we will achieve this just peace, with our friends and our partners.”
