President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a trilateral meeting of the American, Ukrainian, and Russian delegations will take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the coming days.
He said this on January 22 in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
UPD 7:00 PM: After his speech in Davos, Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to journalists and revealed new details of the negotiation process. He said that the document on US security guarantees for Ukraine is ready, but it will be signed only after the war is over. According to the president, the agreement must then be ratified by the US Congress and the Verkhovna Rada.
Zelensky also confirmed Ukraineʼs readiness for trilateral talks with the participation of the United States and Russia, if such a format would actually bring peace closer. At the same time, he stressed that Ukraine would not join any international initiatives with Russia or Belarus until the war is over.
In particular, Kyiv received an invitation to Donald Trumpʼs "Peace Council", but is considering possible participation only after the cessation of hostilities.
The president added that Russia is exhausted, but Vladimir Putin is not interested in ending the war at the moment. In his opinion, it is Donald Trump who can convey to the Kremlin the need to stop hostilities. Zelensky also stated that Ukraine is ready for compromises for the sake of peace, but only mutual ones and those that do not undermine the security of the state.
During his speech, Zelensky clarified that the trilateral talks in the UAE are scheduled for tomorrow and the day after. He described them as "the last, most difficult part of the journey" and emphasized that peaceful agreements require not statements, but concrete decisions and actions.
At the same time, the president sharply criticized European leaders for losing strategic focus. According to him, the attention of many politicians is focused on the topic of Greenland, while Russiaʼs war against Ukraine and threats to all of Europe remain without an adequate response. He noted that Europe seems to be waiting for the United States to change its position, instead of acting independently.
Zelensky said that Europe still relies on faith in NATOʼs automatic response, even though the alliance has never been fully tested. He asked directly who would actually respond if Russia attacked Lithuania or Poland.
The president also criticized symbolic steps in the security sphere, in particular the idea of sending a limited contingent to Greenland. According to him, such decisions do not send any deterrent signal to either Russia or China.
At the same time, he noted that Ukraine knows how to act in the event of the appearance of Russian warships near Greenland, recalling the situation near Crimea.
Separately, Zelensky drew attention to the inaction of the international community regarding the protests in Iran and the events in Belarus in 2020. He stated that the lack of timely support led to mass killings and the strengthening of authoritarian regimes, and today Russian missiles deployed in Belarus are capable of reaching most European capitals.
Speaking about sanctions, the president stressed that Russian oil being transported along the shores of Europe directly finances the war against Ukraine. He asked why the US can stop the tankers of the shadow fleet and confiscate the oil, but Europe cannot. In his opinion, these resources should be seized and used to protect European citizens.
Zelensky also stressed that Russia is able to produce missiles only because it retains access to critical components from various countries, including Europe, the United States, and Asia. Without blocking these channels, he said, no sanctions will stop the war.
The president said that Russia is purposefully attacking Ukrainian energy and civilian infrastructure, trying to leave the country without electricity and heat in freezing conditions. Expensive missiles, he stressed, are not used on the front, but against hospitals, kindergartens and residential buildings.
According to him, Ukraine already produces almost a thousand interceptor drones per day, but this is not yet enough to fully protect the sky.
Zelensky also asked why the world is avoiding decisive action, even though the coordinates of Russian missile and drone factories are well known. He warned that these enterprises are attacking Ukraine today, and tomorrow they could pose a threat to NATO countries.
Zelensky also sharply criticized pro-Russian politicians in Europe, in particular Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. According to him, the forces trying to destroy Europe do not waste a single day and act freely, including within the European Union itself. The president emphasized that every "Victor" who lives off European money and at the same time tries to sell out European interests deserves a tough political response.
Separately, Zelensky gave what he said were real data on the losses of the Russian army. He stated that Russia loses almost 35 thousand soldiers killed every month, while a year ago this figure was approximately 14 thousand.
According to the president, every month Russia mobilizes approximately 43 thousand people, but 10-15% of them flee, another part is injured, because of which the army has actually stopped growing. Zelensky emphasized that this is the result of the work of Ukrainian drone units and the development of unmanned technologies.
In conclusion, the President stated that Europe is still often perceived as a geography or a tradition, rather than a real political and security force. He emphasized that a new world order cannot be built with words — it can only be created by concrete actions.
Zelensky stressed that Ukraineʼs independence is important for all of Europe, because tomorrow it may need to defend its own way of life. His speech was met with a standing ovation by the forum participants.
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