Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Western nations on Tuesday to increase their support for Kyiv and to intensify sanctions against Vladimir Putin.
He told the World Economic Forum in Davos in an emotional speech that Western hesitation in supporting Kyiv and fears of an escalation in the war with Russia were costing time and lives and could prolong the fighting by years.
Zelenskiy said Europeans needed to understand that Putin’s plans went beyond the Ukraine war, as Washington and Brussels’ political wrangling weakened their support for Kyiv.
“In fact, Putin will not change … We must change.” Zelenskiy stated, “We all must change to the extent that the madness that resides in this man’s head or any other aggressor’s head will not prevail.”
He pointed out that proper enforcement of sanctions against Moscow was necessary and that the absence of sanctions against Russia’s nuclear sector demonstrated the West’s weakness.
European Union and NATO leaders concurred with Zelenskiy’s apprehensions, stating at the forum that if Kyiv is to prevail, the West must continue to provide Ukraine with weapons and funds.
