‘Stating the facts as they are’: Why Zelenskyy is putting Europe in the crosshairs
The Ukrainian president appears to have been on a warpath with European leaders in the last two weeks.
In a Q&A session with journalists last night, Volodymyr Zelenskyy went even further in his harsh criticism, suggesting that Europe is to blame for air defence gaps that Russia exploited to take out Ukraine’s energy supply.
Here’s a quick overview of the president’s criticism and what may be behind it:
What is the situation in Ukraine right now?
Ukrainian cities have been plunged into crisis this winter as Russian strikes on the energy grid have caused power and heating blackouts – in the middle of a cold snap.
Despite peace talks with Russia, pressure on Ukrainian troops on the eastern and southern front has increased.
What did Zelenskyy say in Davos?
In his speech at the World Economic Forum last week, Zelenskyy attacked European allies for what he framed as their collective failure to stand up to Vladimir Putin and be respected by Donald Trump.
The president said the UK and Europe were repeating rhetoric about what needs to be done, without taking the action required to make things change.
Watch back the key moments…
Why is Zelenskyy blaming Europe for air defence gaps?
When asked about his combative speech in Davos during yesterday’s Q&A, Zelenskyy summarised his motivation:
“Imagine this: I know that ballistic missiles are incoming against our energy infrastructure; I know that Patriot systems are deployed; and I know that there will be no electricity, because there are no missiles to intercept them.
Zelenskyy said Europeans had missed a payment for American air-defence missiles, meaning they didn’t arrive.
He also said the €90bn that EU countries had promised to contribute to Ukraine’s budget would probably arrive too late, given the difficult situation right now.
He added: “I’m stating the facts as they are.”
Why has Zelenskyy put Europe in the crosshairs?
It’s not the first time that Zelenskyy has criticised European leaders, but in Davos, his criticism was particularly harsh, says Azad Safarov, a Ukrainian producer working with Sky News on the ground.
He says there could be broadly two plausible motivations.
“One of the reasons could be that he was reflecting what Ukrainian society thinks about Europe,” Zafarov says.
There is a sense in Ukraine that European countries underestimated the threat from Moscow and have not responded to Russia’s full-scale invasion as decisively as they should have, he adds.
“The second reason could be that he is trying to echo Donald Trump’s criticism of Europe to please the president and keep him on side,” Safarov explains.
He says it’s an “understandable” manoeuvre, as Zelenskyy can’t afford to alienate the US by criticising them as harshly, but “it’s not particularly wise”.
“In the same vein, it’s difficult to understand why Zelenskyy still hasn’t declined Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace.
“Nobody in Europe accepted it – except for Viktor Orban. That says it all.”
