Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that “at least 200,000” allied troops would be needed to enforce any peace deal in Ukraine as he urged Europe to “take care of itself” as Donald Trump returns to power in the US.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Zelenskyy said European leaders should not ask themselves what Trump would do next, and said that they instead needed to take collective steps to defend their continent at a time when it was under aggressive attack by Russia.
“Europe must establish itself as a strong, global player, as an indispensable player,” the Ukrainian president said. He cited the involvement of North Korean troops in Moscow’s war against Kyiv, with fighting taking place in the Kursk region of western Russia, close to Ukraine’s eastern border.
“Let’s not forget there is no ocean separating European countries from Russia. European leaders should remember these battles involving North Korean soldiers are now happening in places geographically closer to Davos than Pyongyang,” he said.