Volodymyr Zelensky spoke in a week when a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Donald Trump raised fears in Kyiv that it was being frozen out of negotiations, with the White House also downplaying the prospects of Ukraine joining NATO.
“A few days ago, President Trump told me about his conversation with Putin. Not once did he mention that America needs Europe at that table. That says a lot,” Zelensky said in a robust speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
“The old days are over – when America supported Europe just because it always had,” he added.
Russia is relishing a series of contradictory White House messages on Ukraine
Speaking to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on stage at the security conference, Zelensky conceded that he was “not happy” that Trump’s first call was with Putin. The Ukrainian leader warned that it would be even “more dangerous” however if Trump meets with the Russian president before him.
Trump hasn’t provided any commitment to meeting Zelensky first, the Ukrainian president told CNN. The US president did however understand the need to “meet urgently” to discuss “concrete plans” to end the war, Zelensky added.
He spoke the day after US Vice President JD Vance eviscerated America’s European allies at the security conference, in a speech that barely touched on the issue of Ukraine and a potential settlement of Russia.
“Yesterday here in Munich, the US vice president made it clear – decades of the old relationship between Europe and America are ending. From now on, things will be different, and Europe needs to adjust to that,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president called for a united European army, as he acknowledged that the United States may not continue to provide military support as it once did.
“Let’s be honest – now we can’t rule out the possibility that America might say ‘No’ to Europe on issues that threaten it. Many leaders have talked about Europe that needs its own military – an Army of Europe,” he said.
Later in his speech, Zelensky accused Putin of aiming to “carve up the world” through one-on-one talks with Trump.
“Next Putin will try to get the US president standing on Red Square on May 9 this year, not as a respected leader, but as a prop in his own performance, we don’t need that,” he said.
Ukraine says Russia drone attack hits Chernobyl nuclear plant, radiation levels normal
In an exchange which prompted laughter from the crowd, Zelensky also admitted to having told Trump that Putin is afraid of him.
“I told Trump that Putin is afraid of him and he heard me. And now Putin knows,” Zelensky said wryly.
The Ukrainian president added that Putin appears to be the biggest influence on NATO and reiterated that peace talks on ending the conflict could not go ahead without Kyiv’s involvement.
“Right now, the most influential member of NATO seems to be Putin – because his whims have the power to block NATO decisions,” Zelensky said.
“Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement. And the same rule should apply to all of Europe,” he added.
“No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine. No decisions about Europe without Europe. Europe must have a seat at the table when decisions about Europe are being made,” Zelensky continued.
Following Zelensky’s speech, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Europe “urgently needs a plan of action” concerning Ukraine, or risk other global players deciding its future.
“This plan must be prepared now. There’s no time to lose,” Tusk said in a post on X.
President Zelensky has dramatically called for the creation of a European army - as he warned countries on the continent now needed to fight for 'their own sake'.
The Ukrainian leader said on Saturday that Europe must take the threat of further war seriously amid concerns the US would negotiate a peace deal with the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, Zelensky warned President Donald Trump not to deal with Vladimir Putin 'behind our backs' when it comes to Ukraine.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he said: 'I believe the time has come to create an armed forces of Europe. Money alone will not stop an enemy assault.
'It is not just about budgets, it is about people realising they need to defend their own home.'
We need this so that 'decisions about Europe are made in Europe', Zelensky added.
The Ukrainian leader was alluding to a phone conversation between Trump and Putin, after which the Republican president said the two would likely meet to negotiate a peace deal.
Trump later assured Zelensky that he, too, would have a seat at the table to end the war that was sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 61st Munich Security Conference on Saturday
'Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement, and the same rule should apply to all of Europe,' Zelensky said.
'A few days ago, President Trump told me about his conversation with Putin. Not once did he mention that America needs Europe at the table. That says a lot.
'The old days are over when America supported Europe just because it always had.'
Zelensky insisted that 'three years of full-scale war have proven that we already have the foundation for a united European military force'.
And noting the presence of NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the audience, Zelensky explained that his idea 'wasn't about replacing the alliance'.
'This is about making Europe's contribution to our partnership equal to America's', the Ukrainian leader said.
Zelensky was speaking shortly after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took aim at the new political tack from Washington under the Trump administration.
Scholz shot back strongly and said his country won't accept people who 'intervene in our democracy' - alluding to remarks made by US Vice President JD Vance yesterday.
However, Scholz said he was 'pleased' at what he called a shared commitment with the United States to the 'preserving the sovereign independence of Ukraine.
He also said he agreed with Trump that the Russia-Ukraine war must end.
It comes as Russia yesterday launched a drone attack on the Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant, significantly damaging a radiation shelter, Ukraine claimed.
Zelensky said on X that a Russian attack drone 'with a high-explosive warhead struck the shelter protecting the world from radiation at the destroyed 4th power unit of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant'.
He said the shelter was damaged but that the fire has since been extinguished. The cover is used to prevent radiation after the 1986 nuclear disaster which sent a radioactive cloud across Europe.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported an 'explosion' at the site and said it is continuing to monitor the plant, but added that radiation levels have not increased and remain stable.
CCTV footage posted by the Ukrainian leader showed a blast on the side of the Chernobyl structure in footage that was timestamped 02:02am on Friday morning.
The video also showed a fire erupting and hole in the roof, with firefighters using a hose to extinguish the blaze from the inside of the dome.
Zelensky insisted that Russia is 'the only country in the world that attacks such sites, occupies nuclear power plants, and wages war without any regard for the consequences,' adding that it is 'a terrorist threat to the entire world.'
Moscow denied being behind the blast, and suggested Ukrainian officials made the claim because they wanted to thwart efforts to end the war through negotiations after US President Donald Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin about reaching a peace deal.
There is no talk about striking on nuclear infrastructure, nuclear energy facilities, any such claim isn't true, our military doesn't do that,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.
'It's obvious that there are those (in the Ukrainian government) who will continue to oppose any attempts to launch a negotiation process, and it's obvious that those people will do everything to try to derail this process,' he added.
CCTV footage posted by the Ukrainian leader showed a blast on the side of the Chernobyl structure in footage that was timestamped 02:02am on Friday morning
President Putin attends a meeting with Governor of the Bryansk region Alexander Bogomaz on February 13
Wreckage of the military drone that hit the wrecked Chernobyl reactor cover was shown but the type was not immediately clear
Zelensky responded to the alleged attack in his speech at the Munich Security Conference today, criticising Russia.
He said: 'Russia is not preparing for dialogue... keeps opening new army recruitment centres.. Putin can afford it... oil prices are still high enough for him to afford it.
'We have clear intel that he will sends troops to Belarus this summer... Is this force meant to attack Ukraine? Maybe, or maybe it is meant for you.'
It comes as NATO secretary general Mark Rutte today said the alliance's members would have to increase defence spending despite domestic political concerns.
The alliance currently calls on members to spend at least 2 per cent of gross domestic product on defence, but Mr Rutte believes a shift to focusing on the capabilities required by NATO will see that rise to more than 3 per cent.
The UK currently spends around 2.3per cent and the Government has promised to set out a pathway to reach 2.5 per cent, but Mr Rutte told the Munich Security Conference that Donald Trump was right to argue for European nations to do more to pay for security on the continent.
'It is simply not fair if European NATO countries are paying less for their collective defence than the US is paying for that, because the US would also like to lower its taxes or to spend more on education or whatever you want to spend it on.
'The argument cannot be that we are so poor here - we are the richest part of the world, the money is there. That cannot be the problem.'
There would have to be 'difficult decisions' taken by European states but sticking to 2 per cent would not be enough.
The new NATO process to assess what gaps in defence capabilities need to be filled 'will lead you to a number which is much, much more than 2 per cent', with the new targets due to be set out within months.
Mr Rutte suggested annual increases of 0.2 to 0.3 percentage points a year could be how the target was set to 'get there fast' but in a credible way.
