“But no one asks these kinds of questions about Europe. And we have to be honest about it,” Zelenskyy said.
Referring to last year’s IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, the annual intergovernmental security conference held in Singapore, Zelenskyy said the US delegation had designated the Asia-Pacific region as its top priority , followed by the Middle East and then only Europe – and that was under the Biden administration, which was overall more committed to supporting America’s traditional European allies than the Trump administration is promising to be.
“Europe cannot afford to be second or third behind its allies. If this happens, the world will begin to move forward without Europe, and it will be a world that will be neither comfortable nor beneficial for Europeans,” Zelenskyy said.
While reiterating his gratitude for Europe’s help in kyiv’s war against Russia, Zelensky noted that “it is not clear whether Europe will even have a seat at the table when the war against our country will end.
“Will Trump notice Europe? Does he consider NATO necessary? Will he respect European institutions? Zelenskyy reflected, adding that Europe deserves to be more than a spectator, with its leaders reduced to posting on X after a deal has already been reached.
“Europe must shape the terms of these agreements,” he added.
