Zelensky says Europe must know how to protect itself from Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his disappointment with Europe during a press conference on January 23, 2026, after attending the World Economic Forum in Davos.
He stressed that, although Europe has made progress in supporting Ukraine, it has failed to take decisive steps to stop Russia's war efforts.
Zelensky acknowledged that European support has been important, including financial and military aid. “Let’s be honest: Europe is doing a lot,” he said, adding that about $90 billion in aid has been useful, along with joint weapons production projects.
However, he expressed frustration at the gap between words and concrete actions, recalling his speech last year in Davos: “Europe must know how to defend itself.” “A year has passed – and nothing has changed,” the Ukrainian president added.
Zelensky criticized the weak enforcement of sanctions, noting that Russian oil tankers continue to move through Europe despite the restrictions. “If a Russian oil tanker is stopped, it should not be allowed to continue,” he said, noting that France has intervened in only a few such cases recently.
He also warned that Russia continues to receive foreign components for missiles and drones from Europe, the US, Taiwan and other countries, despite long discussions about cutting supply chains. “These components are then used to kill and attack us. They should not be supplied, but they still come. How is it possible to talk only about this for years?” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president called the Coalition of the Willing a positive but insufficient step, comparing it to “a child’s first step – while we need big steps forward.”
He called for a unified European security and defense policy to move from political commitments to strong collective defense measures. The comment comes in the context of his keynote speech in Davos on January 22, where he criticized Europe as “lost” and stuck in a “Groundhog Day” cycle, calling for bolder action against Russia’s shadowy tanker fleet and the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine.
