Ukraine urged Europe to play a leading role in ending Russia’s invasion or face growing insecurity and irrelevance in world affairs, as the Kremlin said it was ready for contact with new US president Donald Trump.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned Europe it could be sidelined by the US, Russia and China, a day after Mr Trump returned to the White House and called on the Kremlin to “make a deal” to end a war that was “destroying Russia”.
“Right now, it’s not clear whether Europe will even have a seat at the table when the war against our country ends, and we see how much influence China has on Russia ... Will President Trump listen to Europe or will he negotiate with Russia and China, without Europe?” Mr Zelenskiy said at the world economic forum in Davos.
He said Europe could not defend itself against any Russian military attack without Ukraine’s help, and accused the West of responding weakly to the Kremlin’s recent signing of strategic partnership deals with Iran and North Korea, and its deployment of North Korean troops to fight Kyiv’s forces near the Russia-Ukraine border.
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“Who do they make such deals against? Against you, against us, against Europe, against America ... Such threats can only be countered together,” Mr Zelenskiy told a packed hall in the Swiss ski resort.
“There is no ocean separating European countries from Russia. European leaders should remember that these battles taking place with North Korean soldiers are taking place ... closer to Davos than to Pyongyang.”
Presidential aides in Kyiv said a Ukrainian delegation could meet members of Mr Trump’s team in Washington early next month, as Mr Zelenskiy repeated that his country needed ironclad western security guarantees – with strong European involvement – to enter any possible peace negotiations with Russia.
“Europe must have a seat at the table when deals about war and peace are made ... Europe needs to shape the terms of those deals,” he said.
“Europe must be able to guarantee peace and security for everybody ... Is this possible without Ukraine and without a just end to Russia’s war against Ukraine? I am sure that the answer is no,” he added.
“If, after negotiations, Ukraine has strong security guarantees ... then there will be a strong and lasting peace for Ukraine and Europe and for America as well ... But if the security guarantees are weak and there is uncertainty and only words, then you will get only words from Russia and they will come back with war.”
After taking office on Monday, Mr Trump said he thought “Russia’s going to be in big trouble” if it fails to negotiate an end to a near three-year invasion that “most people thought ... would have been over in one week.”
“He should make a deal. I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal,” he said of Russian president Vladimir Putin. “I think he’d be very well off to end that war.”
Russian officials said Mr Putin and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping spoke for more than 90 minutes on Tuesday, but denied that the call was intended to send a message to the new US president.
The US and Chinese leaders praised what they have called their countries’ “no limits” relationship, and “indicated willingness to build relations with the United States on a mutually beneficial, mutually respectful basis”, said senior Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
“It was also noted from our side that we are ready for dialogue with the new US administration on the Ukrainian conflict,” he added.
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