Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is seeking a meeting with US President Donald Trump, said a contingent of at least 200,000 European peacekeepers would be needed as part of any solution to end the war with Russia.
The Ukrainian leader, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a day after Trump returned to power after months of promises to end the war in Ukraine quickly, also urged European leaders to do more to defend the continent. Volodymyr Zelensky has also expressed doubts about the new US president, Trump's commitment to NATO and European security.
“Does anyone in the United States worry that Europe might one day abandon them - might cease to be their ally? The answer is no. Washington does not believe that Europe can bring them anything that is truly essential. Europe must be able to guarantee peace and security for everyone - for itself and for others, for those in the world who matter to Europe.”
Zelensky said Ukraine was working to set up a meeting between him and Trump. Trump, who returned to office on Monday, has said he will stop the war in Ukraine quickly, without saying how.
Zelensky said Ukraine would not agree to Russian demands to drastically reduce the size of its military, predicting that Russian President Vladimir Putin will ask Ukraine to cut its armed forces to a fifth of their size.
In his speech, Zelensky said Europe must make itself a strong global player, able to guarantee peace and security for itself and others. He suggested that Europe had less influence over Washington because the United States saw its allies' contribution to security as lacking. (A2 Televizion)
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