Zelenskyy urges 200,000 European peacekeepers to secure Ukraine, seeks Trump meeting; rejects Russian military demands and calls for stronger EU defense policy at Davos.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is seeking a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, said on Tuesday that a contingent of at least 200,000 European peacekeepers would be needed as part of any settlement to end the conflict with Russia.
The Ukrainian leader, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland a day after Trump returned to power following months of promises to end the war in Ukraine quickly, also urged European leaders to do more to defend the continent.
The prospect of a rapid settlement has focused minds in Kyiv and Europe on the urgent need for security guarantees to prevent any future Russian attack, with the idea of peacekeeping contingent force circulating.
"From all the Europeans? 200,000, it's a minimum. It's a minimum, otherwise it's nothing," Zelenskyy said when asked about the idea of a peacekeeping mission on an interview panel after delivering his speech.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was working to set up a meeting between him and Trump. "The teams have been working on a meeting, they are currently in the process," he said about those efforts.
Trump, who returned to office on Monday, has said he will stop the war in Ukraine swiftly, without saying how.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would not agree to Russian demands that it drastically reduce the size of its military, predicting that Russian President Vladimir Putin would demand Ukraine cut its armed forces to a fifth of their size.
"This is what he wants. We will not allow this to happen," Zelenskyy said.
In his speech, Zelenskyy said Europe must make itself a strong global player, able to guarantee peace and security for itself and for others. He suggested Europe had less influence over Washington because the United States viewed its allies' contribution to security as lacking.
"Does anyone in the United States worry that Europe might abandon them someday – might stop being their ally? The answer is no," Zelenskyy said.
He said that Europeans needed to devise a united security and defence policy and alluded to a pre-inauguration remark by Trump, who proposed a massive hike in defence spending for NATO members to 5% of GDP.
"If it takes 5% of GDP to cover defence, then so be it, 5% it is. And there is no need to play with people's emotions that defence should be compensated at the expense of medicine or pensions – that's not fair," Zelenskyy said.
On January 20, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sat down for an exclusive interview with China’s CGTN (China Global Television Network) during the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev met with EBRD president Odile Renaud-Basso in Davos to discuss cooperation on infrastructure, financial sector support, and renewable energy projects. A loan agreement for Ganja’s water system was signed, strengthening ties between Azerbaijan and the EBRD.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged European nations to deploy a peacekeeping force of at least 200,000 personnel to prevent further Russian aggression after any potential ceasefire, speaking during an interview in Davos on January 21, 2025.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Davos on 22 January to discuss bilateral ties, energy cooperation, and regional security.
Day 3 at Davos kicks off with Europol chief Catherine de Bolle on gender parity in power. Highlights: speeches by Malaysia's PM Anwar Ibrahim, UN's Antonio Guterres, and Spain's Pedro Sanchez, plus key talks on AI equity and climate action with global leaders.
San Francisco, CA, February 17, 2025 – OpenAI announced on Friday that its AI agent, Operator, is now available for ChatGPT Pro subscribers in a broader range of countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, among others.
Washington, D.C., February 21, 2025 – U.S. negotiators have reportedly raised the possibility of cutting Ukraine’s access to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service unless Kyiv reaches an agreement to grant the United States greater access to its critical minerals.
Washington, D.C., February 17, 2025 – Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, has reduced the staffing of a key team at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) responsible for regulating autonomous vehicles, according to The Washington Post.
Brussels, February 21, 2025 – Alphabet’s mapping app Waze has crossed the threshold for classification as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), triggering tougher obligations to tackle illegal online content.
Santa Clara, CA, February 17, 2025 – Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang dismissed market concerns over DeepSeek’s recent release of its R1 open source reasoning model, arguing that the technological advancement will ultimately benefit the broader AI ecosystem rather than harm Nvidia’s business.
A tragic crowd crush at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night left 18 dead and 10 injured as thousands of people, many heading to the Kumbh Mela festival, attempted to board delayed trains. The incident highlights the ongoing risks of overcrowding at public transportation hubs in India.
A Delta Air Lines regional jet flipped upside down upon landing at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday, injuring 18 people. Officials are investigating whether strong winds and snow played a role in the incident.
Berlin, February 21, 2025 – German citizens will head to the polls on Sunday, February 23, for a snap general election after the coalition government collapsed late last year.
BERLIN, Feb 22 (Reuters) - NATO is planning to build a pipeline system from Germany to Poland and the Czech Republic to ensure a rapid supply of jet fuel for fighter aircraft in the event of a war with Russia, weekly German magazine Der Spiegel reported.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is asking Congress for nearly $40 billion in disaster funding to help Los Angeles recover and rebuild areas scorched by last month's devastating wildfires, the Washington Post reported on Friday citing a letter.
A second meeting between representatives of Russia and the United States is planned for the next two weeks, the RIA state news agency reported on Saturday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
Washington, D.C., February 21, 2025 – U.S. negotiators have reportedly raised the possibility of cutting Ukraine’s access to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service unless Kyiv reaches an agreement to grant the United States greater access to its critical minerals.
Hamas has begun releasing hostages from Gaza on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, as Israel confirmed that a body handed over earlier was that of hostage Shiri Bibas.
San Francisco, CA, February 17, 2025 – OpenAI announced on Friday that its AI agent, Operator, is now available for ChatGPT Pro subscribers in a broader range of countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, among others.
Washington, D.C., February 21, 2025 – U.S. negotiators have reportedly raised the possibility of cutting Ukraine’s access to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service unless Kyiv reaches an agreement to grant the United States greater access to its critical minerals.
Washington, D.C., February 17, 2025 – Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, has reduced the staffing of a key team at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) responsible for regulating autonomous vehicles, according to The Washington Post.
Brussels, February 21, 2025 – Alphabet’s mapping app Waze has crossed the threshold for classification as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), triggering tougher obligations to tackle illegal online content.
Santa Clara, CA, February 17, 2025 – Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang dismissed market concerns over DeepSeek’s recent release of its R1 open source reasoning model, arguing that the technological advancement will ultimately benefit the broader AI ecosystem rather than harm Nvidia’s business.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment