Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Saturday for the creation of a European army, as he insisted Kyiv and its backers on the continent must be listened to in peace talks with Russia.
Speaking at a gathering of top policymakers in Munich, the Ukrainian leader said that with the return of President Donald Trump to the White House Europe could no longer count on Washington to always have its back.
Trump stunned allies and upended the status quo of US support for Ukraine this week when he announced he would likely soon meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin to start truce talks.
Zelensky's rallying cry came a day after he met US Vice President JD Vance as Kyiv scrambles to ensure it is not sidelined in Washington's push to wrap up the three-year war.
"Let's be honest, now we can’t rule out the possibility that America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it," Zelensky said.
"I really believe that time has come. The Armed Forces of Europe must be created."
The push for a joint continental force has been mooted for years without gaining traction and Zelensky's intervention seems unlikely to shift the balance.
In the short term, the priority for Kyiv remains ensuring its voice is heard at any peace talks involving Russia and that it doesn't get a bad deal.
"Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement," Zelensky said in a speech.
"No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine. No decisions about Europe without Europe."
Zelensky cautioned Putin would seek to use Trump as a "prop in his own performance," possibly by trying to get him to Moscow for Russia's WWII victory parade in May.
Zelensky is pushing for "security guarantees" from both the United States and Europe to ensure that any peace deal does not allow Moscow just to restart the war later.
"Putin cannot offer real security guarantees, not just because he is a liar but because Russia in its current state needs war to hold power together," he said.
The Ukrainian leader said forceful sanctions on Russia and building up Ukraine's military could help secure peace and said he was "open" to eventually having European peacekeepers.
'No time to lose'
European leaders backed up Zelensky's call to action and for their continent to play a key role.
"There will only be peace if Ukraine's sovereignty is secured," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the Munich Security Conference.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk pressed Europe to establish its own stances on Ukraine and security as the United States sows doubts about its commitment to Europe.
"Europe urgently needs its own plan of action concerning Ukraine and our security, or else other global players will decide about our future," Tusk said.
"This plan must be prepared now. There's no time to lose."
NATO boss Mark Rutte said that leaders in Europe were "now getting into the concrete planning phase" of possible security guarantees.
US officials have said that Ukraine will not be left in the cold after three years of battling Russia's invasion.
Vance said after his sit-down with Zelensky that Washington was looking for a "durable, lasting peace" that would not lead to further bloodshed in coming years.
Zelensky Rejects Trump-Led Deal With US on Minerals
Furthermore, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday he blocked a Donald Trump-led deal that would give the US access to vast amounts of Ukrainian natural resources as it lacked "security guarantees" for Kyiv and "does not protect us".
Trump, a businessman leader highly critical of the money Washington has sent to Ukraine to fight Russia's invasion, has pushed for access to rare earths in Ukraine.
Zelensky's announcement came a day after Ukrainian officials gave the US a draft of the agreement and three days after Trump called Russia's Vladimir Putin, with Europe and Kyiv alarmed the pair will try to end the conflict without them.
"The agreement is signed at the ministerial level. But I am the president, and I will have an impact on the quality of this document. That is why I did not allow ministers to sign the agreement because it is not ready," Zelensky told journalists at the Munich Security Conference.
"In my opinion, it does not protect us. It is not ready to protect us, our interests," he added.
"It must be written out legally correctly, and it is an investment... If all this is connected with security guarantees. I don't see this connection in the document yet," he said.
Zelensky added that the deal will not benefit Ukraine for the years to come.
"These resources—this is not mine, but our people's," he said.
"I am a guarantor that these resources will be there for our children, with all partners," he said.
Trump sent US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Kyiv earlier this week.
The US leader has insisted on getting a return on US aid sent to Kyiv to fend off Russian forces.
With AFP
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