EMBATTLED Volodymyr Zelensky today launched a blistering attack on European allies — insisting they liked “to talk, not act”.
The angry Ukraine leader took aim at the Coalition of the Willing, which includes the UK, for offering warm words instead of firm action against Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
And he likened battling through the four-year war to the film Groundhog Day.
His furious intervention came at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, after an hour-long meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Mr Zelensky said: “Too often, European leaders turn against each other instead of standing together to stop Russia.”
In a withering reality check for countries such as Britain, France and Germany, he described the continent as a “fragmented kaleidoscope of small and middle powers”.
He went on: “Instead of taking the lead in defending freedom worldwide — especially when America’s focus shifts elsewhere — Europe looks lost, trying to convince the US President to change.”
Hopes for an end to the war are rising, with Mr Zelensky telling reporters a document on US security guarantees for Ukraine is “done”.
All sides will need to sign the document, including Mr Trump, before being ratified by their parliaments.
And today will see a breakthrough meeting between officials from the US, Ukraine and Russia in the United Arab Emirates.
But in his speech to global leaders and finance chiefs, Mr Zelensky also criticised those allies standing in the way of frozen Russian assets being used to fund his war effort.
He said: “When the time came to use those assets, the decision was blocked. Putin managed to stop Europe, unfortunately.
“What’s missing — time or political will? Too often in Europe, something is more urgent.
“Europe loves to discuss the future but avoids taking action today. That defines the kind of future we will have.”
Mr Zelensky compared his country’s situation with 1993 classic Groundhog Day, in which star Bill Murray lives the same day again and again.
He said: “No one would want to live like that, repeating the same thing for weeks and months — and of course, four years.
“That’s exactly like how we live now. And it’s our life.
“Just last year here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words, ‘Europe needs to know how to defend itself’.
A year has passed and nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I must say the same words.”
‘Nato collapse’
His comments came after his “productive and substantive” meeting with Mr Trump — and as air strikes left more than 4,000 buildings in capital Kyiv without heating in -20C temperatures.
Mr Trump said: “The war has to end. We hope it’s going to end. There are a lot of people being killed.”
Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned the alliance risked losing focus on Ukraine’s defence as attention switched to US plans for Greenland.
He stressed: “The main issue is not Greenland now, the main issue is Ukraine. I’m a little bit worried that we might drop the ball focusing so much on these other issues.”
British and EU leaders feared Nato could collapse over Trump’s demands to take over Denmark-owned Greenland.
Mr Zelensky said: “Everyone turned attention to Greenland and it’s clear most leaders simply are not sure what to do about it.
“And it seems like everyone is waiting for America to cool down. But what if it will not? What then?
“Europe looks lost trying to convince the US president to change — but he will not change.
“President Trump loves who he is and he says he loves Europe, but he won’t listen to this Europe.”
He also took aim at European allies for sending handfuls of troops to Greenland.
He added: “Forty soldiers to Greenland, what is that for? What message does it send? What’s the message to Putin? Or to China?
“And even more importantly, what message does it send to Denmark? Thirty or 40 soldiers will not protect anything.”
Meanwhile, PM Sir Keir Starmer snubbed Mr Trump’s invitation to join his Board of Peace meant to oversee rebuilding Gaza after tyrant Mr Putin was also asked.
Some 35 countries have so far agreed to be part of the group — which costs $1billion for permanent membership and would run in parallel to the UN.
Former PM Tony Blair has accepted a spot on its executive.
But Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the approach to the Russian despot was too much.
She said they had issues with “President Putin being part of something which is talking about peace, when we have still not seen any signs from Putin that there will be a commitment to peace in Ukraine”.
Putin’s main ally, Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko, was also asked — and has accepted.
Mr Trump named some of his recruits in Davos and said: “We can do pretty much whatever we want to do.”
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will join, while Pope Leo has also been invited.
