“Actions speak louder than words.” EU leaders responded to Zelensky’s criticism of Europe in Davos.
The European Union is focusing only on the issue of supporting Ukraine.
European Council President António Costa made this statement in response to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statements about Europe’s “confusion and division,” Radio Liberty reports.
“On Ukraine, we are focusing only on the main issue. This is supporting Ukrainians in achieving a just and lasting peace. This is what we’ve been doing since day one, and we will continue to support Ukraine and Ukrainians in achieving a just and lasting peace,” assured António Costa, without commenting on Zelenskyy’s specific claims, voiced on January 22 from the podium at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The head of the European Commission recalled the EU’s contribution to Ukraine’s security in figures.
“For us, actions speak louder than words. We have been Ukraine’s largest donor over the past four years, having provided over €193 billion in aid. And the European Council just decided to add another €90 billion to this total for the next two years. We know we can never match the sacrifice of the Ukrainian people, but what we can do is support them, and I think the numbers speak for themselves,” noted Ursula von der Leyen.
Asked whether the United States could be considered a reliable partner after President Donald Trump’s publicly stated intentions to take Greenland and impose tariffs on several European countries, Costa said it was “very important to preserve and cherish our transatlantic partnership.”
“Relations between friends must be guided by cordiality and respect… We will continue to cooperate with our partners and allies based on these principles… The European Commission has made efforts to stabilize our trade relations. NATO allies are working with the United States to stabilize the Alliance, and that is why we are all working with the United States to ensure they continue to cooperate to support Ukraine in achieving a just and lasting peace,” the President of the European Council emphasized.
The head of the European Commission, in turn, said that during the discussions at the emergency summit convened through Greenland, the leaders demonstrated an understanding that Europe’s independence should be strengthened.
“The key components for working toward European independence are economic strength and the necessary security infrastructure. And for this, we need a strong single market to drive our economy. But for this—and this was discussed—we also need access to other global markets… We must expand our network, because with new markets, we can diversify our supply chains. And the more trade agreements and deals we have, the more independent we become,” Ursula von der Leyen emphasized.
On January 19, European Council President António Costa announced the convening of an emergency EU summit due to tensions over Greenland. Following the meeting on January 22, the head of the European Commission noted that, in addition to Greenland, Ukraine was also discussed.