Why even Consider Terrorist Russia’s Point of View?

Not only is Russian führer Vladimir Putin a slave to war, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy befittingly labeled his arch nemesis last week, but he is also a bloody murderer who shamelessly and cold-heartedly kills his opponents.

World leaders should take note of that when next they shake hands – with the latter day Hitler. Do criminal terrorists deserve any consideration?

On the other side of the fence, supposedly the righteous free world’s side, US President Donald J. Trump continues to persecute and belittle Ukraine for pursuing the outlandish idea that the Ukrainian president has the God-given right to defend his country against Russian invaders. Ironically, Trump and Putin are opposed to Zelenskyy’s resolve that the aggressor Russia does not have the right to claim as its own the Ukrainian lands that it has seized. Consequently, the American and Russian leaders are loudly claiming in unison that the Ukrainian president is blindly stubborn as he forsakes peace.

Addressing the Munich Security Conference last week, Zelenskyy introduced his concept of Putin as a slave of war. In other words, the Russian leader’s life and policies are dictated by war. Putin is enslaved by the notion of war. Issues are resolved by violence, death and mayhem. According to Zelenskyy, the Russian despot is not interested in anything else.

“Putin does not live like ordinary people. He does not walk the streets. You will not see him in a café. His grandchildren do not go to a normal kindergarten in their hometown. He cannot imagine life without power or after power. Normal things do not interest him. Putin ‘consults’ more with Tsar Peter and Empress Catherine about territorial gains than with any living person about real life. Can you imagine Putin without war? Be honest.

“Right now, his focus is on Ukraine. And no one in Ukraine believes he will ever let our people go. But he will not let other European nations go either – because he cannot let go of the very idea of war. He may see himself as a tsar, but in reality, he is a slave to war. If he lives another 10 years – we understand, it can be – war can return. Or expand.”

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, among others, emphasized in his speech at the Munich Security Conference that future security guarantees for Ukraine must not meet the same fate as the Budapest Memorandum on nuclear arms, which Russia has continuously violated. The German official noted that as the potential ceasefire approaches, it will be necessary to ensure that any peace is lasting.

“We will have to protect Ukraine from any potential future aggression by Russia. For this major task, Ukraine needs substantial and reliable security guarantees,” Pistorius said.

He recalled that Marco Rubio pointed out in the US Senate in 2014 that the 1994 Budapest Memorandum had failed to fulfil its purpose and did not protect Ukraine, as Russia invaded and annexed Crimea.

“So the lesson for us, ladies and gentlemen, must be that we must not allow another ‘paper tiger’ like the Budapest Memorandum. And in order to provide credible security guarantees, all of us – all of us, both Europe and the United States – must contribute. Europe and Germany are ready to do their part,” Pistorius said.

Strangely, contrary to his fellow national leaders across Europe, President Trump is caught in a deadly web of believing that Putin can be reasoned with and mutual, binding decisions can be reached. Realistic security concerns expressed by Zelenskyy are beyond the scope of reason, he has said. Actually, Trump is oblivious to Ukraine’s genuine fear that invading Russian hordes would return to Ukraine in the future if they’re not dealt with conclusively now.

White House officials naively believe that Kremlin leaders can be trusted on the basis of a handshake. Security guarantees and deterrence are needless and wasteful. Putin can be trusted, Trump insists, because he has personally spoken with him at length.

Can he? How can you have confidence is a dictator who resorts to killing his opponents.

“That is why we say – there must be real security guarantees. For Ukraine and for Europe. Strong security guarantees. We know clearly what those guarantees must include. And we have strong agreements ready to sign with the U.S. and with Europe. We think that the agreement on security guarantees should come before any agreement to end the war. Those guarantees answer the main question – how long there will be no war again. We hope President Trump hears us. We hope the Congress hears us. We hope American people hear us. And we are grateful for all the real help,” Zelenskyy said.

As a result of Trump’s dangerously misguided beliefs, the US President pressures President Zelenskyy, the victim rather than the perpetrator, to change his ways to reach a peace deal. Zelenskyy expressed hope on the weekend that US-brokered peace talks next week in Geneva will be serious and substantive, but he expressed concern that Ukraine was being asked “too often” to make concessions.

“We truly hope that the trilateral meetings next week will be serious, substantive, helpful for all us but honestly sometimes it feels like the sides are talking about completely different things,” Zelenskyy said in a speech at the Munich Security Conference. “The Americans often return to the topic of concessions and too often those concessions are discussed only in the context of Ukraine, not Russia.”

As for the US-brokered talks this week, Zelenskyy said Kyiv was doing “everything” to end the war.

Speaking with journalists, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio poured cold water on Ukraine’s hopes for a decisive conclusion to the war. He pointed that he does not expect the war to conclude in what many would consider a “traditional loss” for either side, arguing that Russia is unlikely to achieve its original, sweeping objectives. Crossing a foreign border without retribution and holding on to what it has seized is a good objective, in Russia’s mind, for the time being. But for how long?

Instead, Rubio guilelessly suggested, Moscow’s ambitions have narrowed to consolidating the roughly 20% of the Donetsk region that it does not yet control – a goal he acknowledged would require “hard” concessions from Kyiv, both tactically and politically. Why should Ukraine concede anything to Russia? Is that justice or has Washington decided to abandon justice for a greater goal? Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize? However, finding a formula acceptable to Ukraine and tolerable to Russia, he said, remains the primary challenge. “It may not work out,” Rubio cautioned, though he maintained that the United States would continue pressing for a deal.

Rubio, obviously, is perpetuating Trump’s depraved policy of parity with no victims and perpetrators, while placating the criminal. In the White House’s faulted view, both countries are guiltless, even though the allies and former captive nations witnessed Russia’s cruel, bloody invasion of Ukraine four years ago.

Rubio deceptively noted that the USA wants to help Ukraine end the war. It’s a dangerous conclusion to the four-year war that Russia started. Ukrainians the world over want the war to end but if not with a clear victory for Ukraine then at least with a clear defeat for Russia. The terms of Moscow’s defeat and evacuation must not to allow it to attack Ukraine in the future. The occasion of another Russian invasion of Ukraine in the near or distant future is unacceptable to all Ukrainians in Ukraine and beyond. Surrendering Ukrainian land to Russia is also a non-starter.

That is the conclusion and peace that Washington must support. No parity. One victim and one criminal invader. If not, then Trump and all Republican candidates in 2026 and 2028 should rest assured that Ukrainian American voters will not cast their ballots for GOP candidates. 

Navalny wasn’t the First nor Last Russian Murder Victim

The United Kingdom and other European nations have accused Russia of killing Russian imprisoned oppositionist Alexei Navalny with a rare and lethal toxin found in the skin of poison dart frogs.

The international community should bear in mind that Navalny wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last. Russia has repeatedly flouting international bans on chemical and biological weapons and conducted murders of important anti-Kremlin leaders on both sides of the Iron Curtain.

European nations have accused the Kremlin of also carrying out a 2018 attack in the English city of Salisbury that targeted a former Russian intelligence officer, Sergei Skripal, with the nerve agent Novichok. Skripal and his daughter became seriously ill, and a British woman, Dawn Sturgess, died after she came across a discarded bottle with traces of the nerve agent.

A British inquiry concluded that the attack “must have been authorized at the highest level, by President Putin.”

The Kremlin has unsurprisingly denied involvement. Russia also denied poisoning Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian agent turned Kremlin critic who died in London in 2006, after ingesting the radioactive isotope polonium-210. A British inquiry concluded that two Russian agents killed Litvinenko, and Putin had “probably approved” the operation.

History knows the truth.

On the Ukrainian side, in the past century Moscow – communist or putinist – has assassinated “Shchedryk” (“Carol of the Bells”) composer Mykola Leontovych, and revolutionary leaders Symon Petliura, Yevhen Konovalets, Lev Rebet, Stepan Bandera, and recently Andriy Parubiy and others.

IOC: Eyes Wide Shut while Ukrainian Olympians Show True Grit

Ukrainian luger Olena Smaha displays her comment on her glove: Remembrance is not a violation!

Olympians at this year’s Winter Games in Milan are experiencing the International Olympic Committee’s duplicitous approach to Russian athletes while Ukrainian Olympians show that they can’t be held back from paying tribute to their fallen comrades.

While Russian and Belarussian athletes have been officially banned from the Games due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Belarusia’s support, a total 13 Russian and 7 Belarusian athletes are participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics, competing under the banner of "Individual Neutral Athletes" (AIN) – which means that they not really in Milan (wink, wink). That does not include those athletes with Russian-sounding names who emigrated to the West and adopted their new homeland’s citizenship.Ukrainian athletes had their own grievance against officials.

Snowboarder Roland Fischnaller has a Russian flag (to the right of center) on his helmet.

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych said on February 10 that he has been barred from using his custom helmet at the 2026 Winter Olympics because it honors Ukrainian athletes killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Heraskevych said the International Olympic Committee prohibited him from wearing the helmet during official training sessions and competitions after it was shown in initial runs on the Olympic track.

“A decision that simply breaks my heart,” Heraskevych wrote on Instagram. “The feeling that the IOC is betraying those athletes who were part of the Olympic movement, not allowing them to be honored on the sports arena where these athletes will never be able to step again.”

The helmet features portraits of Ukrainian athletes killed during Russia’s murderous full-scale invasion. In an earlier post, Heraskevych said the design was meant to honor only a small portion of the many athletes who have died since the war began.

“It is unfair, and these people should not have left us at such a young age,” he wrote. “With this I want to pay tribute to these individuals and to their families. The world needs to know the true price of Ukrainian freedom.”

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to social media to praise Heraskevych for wearing the helmet, thanking him “for reminding the world of the price of our struggle.”

“This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate, or called a ‘political demonstration at a sporting event.’ It is a reminder to the whole world of what modern Russia is,” Zelenskyy wrote.

“And this is what reminds every one of the global role of sports and the historic mission of the Olympic movement itself – it is all about peace and for the sake of life. Ukraine remains faithful to this. Russia proves otherwise.”

Heraskevych told CNN he will defy the IOC and wear his helmet featuring images of athletes killed during the war in Ukraine.

The IOC earlier expressed understanding for Heraskevych’s situation but said that the helmet “contravenes” the governing body’s guidelines on political statements, offering to allow him to wear a black armband in commemoration instead.

In response, Heraskevych said at a press conference that he would wear the helmet regardless of the guidelines.

“Yes,” the slider said in reply to a question asking if he would defy the IOC’s decision. “If the IOC betrays these athletes, I will not betray them.”

“I wear this helmet two days ago, yesterday, today. I will wear it tomorrow and I will wear it for the race day,” Heraskevych told CNN’s Amanda Davies.

“These people sacrificed their lives and because of that, I am able to be here today. I’m able to be at the Olympics, and I will not betray them.”

The athletes featured on the helmet are: weightlifter Alina Perehudova, boxer Pavlo Ischenko, ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, actor and athlete Ivan Kononenko, diver and coach Mykyta Kozubenko, shooter Oleksiy Habarov and dancer Daria Kurdel.

“Some things are more important than sports,” he told CNN. “To pay tribute to them, to people who sacrificed their lives because of this sacrifice, I’m able today to be here, and for me it’s important to pay tribute to them and pay honor to their families.”

In a video posted on social media following his training session, Heraskevych — who carried his country’s flag at the opening ceremony — said Toshio Tsurunaga, the IOC representative in charge of communications between athletes, national Olympic committees and the IOC, had gone to the Athletes’ Village to inform him of the decision.

“A decision that simply breaks my heart. The feeling that the IOC is betraying those athletes who were part of the Olympic movement, not allowing them to be honored on the sports arena where these athletes will never be able to step again,” he said in the video.

“Despite precedents in modern times and in the past when the IOC allowed such tributes, this time they decided to set special rules just for Ukraine.”

And let’s not forget Ukrainian luger Anton Dukach who after his run, sat up on his sled, looked into the WNBC-TV camera and declared in Ukrainian Слава Україні; Героям Слава! Glory to Ukraine; Glory to the Heroes! Thank God the IOC didn’t hear him. What a patriot!

Three cheers for the Ukrainian Olympians! 

Ukraine Deserves Better, not President Trump

President Donald J. Trump is continuing to express his impulsively absurd and offensive observations about Russia’s war against Ukraine that do not bode well for Ukraine’s sovereignty and regional security.

Either because of his ignorance and arrogant belief in his infallibility or subservience or Moscow’s dictator Putin, Trump isn’t presenting himself as a serious global leader who has genuinely assumed leadership of the free world. Furthermore, Trump has demonstrated unequivocally that he isn’t committed to defending Europe and NATO against ongoing Russian aggression. Unity among America’s traditional allies isn’t top of mind for Trump, who sadly shuns America’s historical traditions and policies. This view is causing concern across the Atlantic. Trump’s erratic foreign policy resembles Russia’s point of view and actions as accentuated by Putin, the despot Trump claims to know quite well and consequently even tolerates bar none.

Trump’s latest preposterous remark shocked observers at the Davos forum a couple of weeks ago. The American president called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin “stupid” for failing to reach a peace deal. Speaking at the forum, Trump reiterated his oft stated, erroneous analysis that the “tremendous” and “abnormal hatred” between the Ukrainian president and Russian dictator is the reason for the war and the inability to end it, without acknowledging Russian aggression and imperialism as causes.

Trump has been known to mock Zelenskyy as a poor negotiator and “grossly incompetent,” as tensions continued to rise over the Administration’s direct talks with Russia about ending the war it launched nearly four years ago. Trump has said Kyiv had enough time to end the war, “You should have never been there. You should have never started it. You should have made a deal.”

Again, lack of knowledge and ambivalence about facts. Assigning parity to the aggressor and victim sends the matter into a dead end, from which there is no emergence.

Politico pointed out that Trump’s pro-Putin favoritism has called Zelenskyy is a “dictator” even though he won a fair election in 2019. But the American president doesn’t say the same about Putin, even though his main opponent died in jail a few weeks before Putin won a rigged election last year and the United Nations has designated him a war criminal.

In the recent weeks, Trump and his team have also undermined NATO, backed far-right politicians in Europe and vowed to hit the European Union with a trade war for its “very unfair” treatment of the US No wonder a growing number of European officials and diplomats think the American president is really on Russia’s side.

Ukraine and the other former captive nations of Russian imperialism have come to recognize that Russia can’t be trusted. Russia said it wouldn’t bombard Ukraine during the frigid weather but then it launched its largest aerial assault on Ukraine, resuming direct attacks on energy infrastructure despite a request from Trump that Moscow refrain from striking such targets during extreme winter cold. The assault hit eight Ukrainian regions, striking thermal power plants that provide heat to Kyiv and major cities including Kharkiv and Dnipro, according to Ukraine's energy ministry.

“Each such Russian strike confirms that attitudes in Moscow have not changed,” Zelenskyy said, calling for faster delivery of air-defense systems, noting that such an attack “can be intercepted only by Patriot systems.”

Trump, in his pro-Russia point of view, thanked Moscow for fulfilling its promise.

“We asked President Putin if they could stop the shooting for a week,” Trump told reporters at an event in the Oval office. “They're being hit with, proportionately, the kind of cold that we're being hit. It’s much colder in Ukraine to start off with, but it’s really cold. He agreed to do that. We appreciated that very much.”

Trump’s claim that his Russian comrade “kept his word” by not launching mass missile and drone strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for a week has been met with perplexity and dismay in Kyiv. Trump might have missed the news that Russian continued bombing Ukraine.

“I believe this is either a mockery of our misfortune, a lack of understanding of the situation, or wishful thinking,” Volodymyr Ariev, a lawmaker from the opposition European Solidarity party, told the Kyiv Independent.

“(The pause) was for Sunday to Sunday,” Trump said the same day. “It opened up and (Putin) hit them hard... He kept his word on that. One week is a lot — we will take anything.”

“This is clearly a victory for Putin,” Inna Sovsun, lawmaker from the Holos party, told the Kyiv Independent. “He can claim that Russia has shown ‘goodwill’ while continuing to drag out the negotiation process."

Russia has significantly upped the frequency of mass attacks in recent weeks with some happening less than a week apart. But the slightly longer pause between strikes on January 24 and February 3 was reflected in the size of the attack which was the largest of the winter so far. Russia launched 71 missiles, compared to only 4 on January 18, 27 on January 20, and 21 on January 24.

Adding to the anger in Ukraine is the seeming lack of recognition from the US that Russia conducted several deadly strikes on Ukraine during the period in question, including a drone attack on a bus that killed 12 miners in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on February 1. Several days earlier, Russian cutthroats twice hit passenger trains resulting in civilian deaths and injuries.

“Putin only needed time to reload the missiles, refuel the planes, and lift them into the air,” Ruslan Horbenko, a lawmaker from the ruling Servant of the People party, told the Kyiv Independent. “Such fake statements from both sides, from the Russians and from the United States, only weaken the trust of both Ukraine and European partners.”

No condemnations have been forthcoming from the White House.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, an ardent support of Ukraine, arrived in Kyiv during the attack and said Russia was attempting to cripple the country’s energy system, urging allies to provide more air-defense interceptors.

“It is important that the NATO Secretary General is with us in Ukraine at such a brutal moment of this war, when the Russians have once again disregarded the efforts of the American side,” Zelenskyy posted on X.

“Ukraine needs much more,” Rutte said. “And we are urgently working to ensure that more is delivered as quickly as possible. I continue to work with allies, urging them to dig deep in their stockpiles, knowing how pressing is the need.”

Meanwhile, the US is aiming to get a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia by March despite a lack of progress on territorial concessions, according to reports. Don’t count on it.

Trump and his team are without a doubt unprepared and incapable of bringing peace to Ukraine. They lack the intellectual and philosophical skills to stand firmly in Ukraine’s corner, forthrightly defending its sovereignty while opposing bravely Moscow’s aggression.

Trump must abandon his dangerous anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia policies. The world, NATO, Ukraine and Ukrainian American voters deserve and expect no more. 

Russia Deserves No Consideration in Settling its War vs Ukraine

Russian cutthroats again descended into hell by targeting a passenger train near Kharkiv that killed five passengers. Russian drones struck a passenger train on January 27, hitting a locomotive and passenger car and causing a fire, Ukrainian officials said.

“The strike on a passenger train is a direct act of Russian terror against civilians. There was no military target,” Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said.

Actually, the past few days were drenched in Ukrainian blood as the Russians used drones and missiles to hit civilian targets across Ukraine killing senior citizens, mothers and children.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the train attacked in the Kharkiv region was carrying 200 passengers. It can only be described as terrorism and genocide just as the effect of bombed out apartments and frigid temperatures that the civilians are compelled to endure. Prosecutors said fragments of five bodies had been found at the scene of the attack.

“There is not and cannot be any military justification for killing civilians in a train carriage,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram, adding that two people were also wounded in the attack. Prosecutors posted images of the smoldering carriage on social media. 

Zelenskyy said the latest bombardment undermined peace efforts and urged allies to step up pressure on Moscow to end the war.

"Every such Russian strike erodes the diplomacy that is still ongoing and undermines the efforts of partners who are helping to end this war," he wrote on social media.

It is evident that regardless of Russia’s claims and promises and President Donald Trump’s naïve belief, Moscow will never abandon its mission of enslaving all of Ukraine. Afterward, the countries to the west will also be imperiled.

Russia struck cities across Ukraine with drones and a missile overnight, killing a couple near Kyiv a day after the attack on the passenger train, ahead of a new round of peace talks due at the weekend. According to all sides, the last remaining points pertain to security guarantees for Ukraine and surrendering Ukrainian land to Russia.

According to the Financial Times, Washington has indicated that security guarantees will only be promised to Ukraine if it agrees to surrender territory to Russia in the Donbas, according to a report.

Sources close to the discussions told the Financial Times that the Trump Administration would provide additional weapons to strengthen Ukraine’s military in the event of a peace deal if Kyiv withdraws its forces from the region. Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not give up any occupied land without a referendum on territory.

European and Ukrainian officials see Washington’s position as an attempt to place pressure on Kyiv to agree to a deal, with doubts raised over whether the White House is ready to make binding commitments on security. Without a doubt, this pressure on Kyiv will anger Ukrainian American voters, who have said that they will remember this offense during upcoming 2026 and 2028 elections.

In the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, a 58-year-old man was killed in a drone attack. A 72-year-old was killed in her home by Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region.

Russian drone and missile attacks have knocked out power, lighting and heat to millions of Ukrainians across the country.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia had launched 165 attack drones overnight, and officials said an infrastructure facility in the western Lviv region was hit.

State gas company Naftogaz said the attack had left one of its facilities on fire in western Ukraine, describing it as the fifth attack of its kind this month.

Media in southern Ukraine reported that the woman had a four-year-old daughter who survived the strike. Officials said four people, including two children, sought medical attention after the attack.

"When I carried her out, the girl started crying very hard, and then she began to shake violently," Marian Kushnir, a journalist who was a neighbor of the deceased couple, told Radio Free Europe.

Zelenskyy condemned the attack on the apartment block, as well as another strike with short-range rockets on what he described as a residential area without military targets in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.

“We will respond fairly to Russia for this and other similar attacks," he wrote on social media.

Ukraine and Russia met for US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi last week, with further meetings expected on Sunday, February 1, but Russia has not relented in bombing Ukrainian cities. Both countries have struck each other’s energy infrastructure.

A massive Russian drone attack on Odesa in southern Ukraine struck several apartment and university buildings, killing at least three people, injuring dozens of others, and leaving an unknown number still stuck under rubble, officials said on January 27.

Russia sent a swarm of over 50 drones into the city in an attack that began around 2:20 am. Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper wrote that the strikes damaged dozens of residential buildings, a preschool, and a church, initially reporting 23 injuries. That figure subsequently rose to 35, Suspilne reported, citing Public Health Director Olena Kolodenko.

“Emergency workers have pulled out 14 people, among them one child. It is tentatively known that people may still be stuck under the rubble,” Kiper said in his initial response to the attack.

Odesa Mayor Serhiy Lysak wrote on Telegram hours later on Jan. 27 that emergency workers had recovered the first known fatality from the attack after hours of excavations. That number had risen to three dead dug out of the ruins as of 3 pm, with work ongoing.

“The destruction is colossal, and repair work will require extended time to return equipment to working condition,” energy provider DTEK wrote in a statement identifying its facilities as among those hit.

Lysak specified in a separate Telegram post that 43 buildings and 122 apartment units fell under the drone attack in Odesa’s Prymorskiy Neighborhood, the downtown area near the Black Sea that includes much of the city's famous port. Three other buildings were damaged in the neighborhood of Perespylsky, which includes the rest of the main ports.

Overnight on January 28, Russian forces launched missile and drone attacks on several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv and surrounding areas, local authorities reported.

Russia launched one Iskander-M ballistic missile and 146 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 103 drones. At least 36 drones and the missile made it through, striking 22 locations.

Explosions were heard in Ukraine’s capital around 1:26 am local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Local authorities reported that air defense systems were activated to intercept incoming Russian drones.

Kyiv Oblast Gov. Mykola Kalashnyk reported that two people, a man and a woman, were killed in the Bilohorodka community, located on the outskirts of the capital. Several other people were also treated by paramedics but did not require hospitalization.

One of the victims was a mother who was at home with her 4-year-old child when their apartment came under attack, Hromadske reported.

The second victim was the woman’s partner. At the time of the attack, they were both on the second floor of the apartment, while the child was on the first floor. Both adults died from a direct hit.

The 4-year-old child was carried out of the burning building by Radio Liberty war correspondent Marian Kushnir, Ukrainian TV channel 1+1 reported.

These vicious attacks are leading up to yet another round of talks this Sunday, February 1. It is apparent to all that Russia will not change it demands and Washington will not stop supporting Moscow. Ukraine is left to fend for itself in a war that it didn’t start. Russia wants all of Ukraine though it hasn’t yet said so. Ukrainian soldiers and civilians across the country are locked in an existential war for their independence, sovereignty and future.

President Trump offered his ludicrous explanation for the continuation of the war. The media has quoted him as saying absurdly he’s having a difficult time ending the war because both Putin and Zelenskyy hate each other. Mutual hatred is not the reason for the war. Age-old, traditional Russian aggression, imperialism and hatred for Ukraine and Ukrainians were the causes of the war. Ukrainians have come to hate Russia and Russians with the number of deceased Ukrainians littering the streets and countryside. That’s the painful reason. 

There’s a New Global Leader in the Room: Zelenskyy

One theme was quite obvious in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s single-minded, prophetic speech today at the Davos World Economic Forum: Europe must evolve from being a cute continent of small countries to a formidable, united geo-political and military force that is capable of keeping unceasingly aggressive and dangerous Russia confined to its borders.

Motivated by his country’s four-year existential war against Russian aggression as well President Donald Trump’s vision of new world order of his design, Zelenskyy observed with thoughts of the future “Right now, all eyes are on Washington. But who’s actually watching Europe at the moment? That’s the key question for Europe. And it’s not just about ideas. It’s about people, first of all. It’s about how they’ll live in a world that’s constantly changing.”

Noting sarcastically at the outset that the world is caught in a “Groundhog Day” syndrome where war, peace, threats constantly rotate ad nauseum, the Ukrainian president asked “Most of the world’s now thinking – so, what’s going happen to their relationship with America? What will happen to alliances? To support? To trade? How does President Trump plan to end wars? But no-one is asking these kinds of questions about Europe. And we need to be honest about that.” Zelenskyy’s rhetorical reply is that Europe must take the lead in defending its territory from the Russian border to the Atlantic Ocean.

“Washington does not believe Europe can bring them something that is really substantial,” Zelenskyy claimed. Will President Trump even notice Europe? Does he see NATO as necessary? And will he respect EU institutions?”

In this pre-global conflagration, Zelenskyy posed a daring challenge: “Ladies and gentlemen, Europe can’t afford to be second or third in line for its allies. If that happens, the world will start moving forward without Europe, and that’s a world that will not be comfortable or beneficial for all Europeans.

Europe needs to compete for the top spot in priorities, alliances and technological development.

We’re at yet another turning point, which some see as a problem for Europe, but others call a chance. Europe must establish itself as a strong global player; as an indispensable player.”

Alluding to his recent calls for the establishment of a European army, Zelenskyy said “Europe needs to know how to defend itself.”

Zelenskyy continued “Next point. I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it again: Europe needs united armed forces – forces that can truly defend Europe. Today, Europe relies only on the belief that if danger comes, NATO will act. But no one has really seen the Alliance in action. If Putin decides to take Lithuania or strike Poland, who will respond? Who will respond?

“Right now, NATO exists thanks to belief – belief that the United States will act, that it will not stand aside, and will help. But what if it doesn’t?

“Believe me, this question is… It’s everywhere, in the minds of every European leader. And some try to get closer to President Trump. It’s true. Some wait – hoping the problem will disappear. Some have started acting – investing in weapons production, and et cetera, building partnerships, getting public support for higher defense spending…”

Furthermore, the danger posed by imperial Russia is enhanced by a clear boundary like the one enjoyed by the United States. “Let’s not forget – there’s no ocean separating European countries from Russia. And European leaders should remember this – battles involving North Korean soldiers are now happening in places geographically closer to Davos than to Pyongyang,” he said.

Russia is turning in a version of despotic North Korea and its economic potential is smaller than Europe’s, Zelenskyy said the evil Empire produces several times more ammunition and military equipment than all of Europe combined. “That’s exactly the path of wars Moscow chooses to take,” he said.

Russia has already signed comprehensive military treaties with North Korea and Iran that will be used against Europe and America – “all of us,” Zelenskyy warned.

“We must not forget about it. It is not by chance. These are their strategic priorities, and our priorities must match the challenge – in politics, and in defense, and in economy,” he advised.

This also pertains to the armed forces. Zelenskyy said Russia has about 1.3-1.5 million troops. Ukraine has more than 800,000 in its military but they’re dedicated to fighting Russia. Second comes France with over 200,000; then Germany, Italy and the UK. “Everyone else has less. This isn’t a situation where one country can secure itself alone. It’s about all of us standing together to mean something,” he said.

The Ukrainian president said it’s not clear whether Europe will even have a seat at the table when the war against Ukraine country ends.

“We see how much influence China has on Russia and we are deeply grateful to Europe for all the support it’s given our country during this war. But will President Trump listen to Europe, or will he negotiate with Russia and China without Europe? Europe needs to learn how to fully take care of itself, so that the world can’t afford to ignore it,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president reminded the assemblage of the defense of Greenland and Ukraine’s participation. “You either declare that European bases will protect the region from Russia and China – and establish those bases – or you risk not being taken seriously because 30 or 40 soldiers won’t protect anything.

“And we know what to do. If Russian warships are sailing freely around Greenland, Ukraine can help – we have the expertise and weapons to ensure not one of those ships remains. They can sink near Greenland just as they do near Crimea. No problem – we have the tools, and we have people.”

With unity in Europe being a maintain ingredient, because the world cares about Europe as a whole, Zelenskyy said “We need a united European security and defense policy, and all European countries must be willing, willing to spend as much on security as is truly needed – not just as much as they’ve gotten used to during years of neglect.”

Zelenskyy bemoaned the fact that Europeans turn against each other – “leaders, parties, movements, and communities – instead of standing together to stop Russia, which brings the same destruction to everyone.” Instead of becoming a truly global power, Zelenskyy said “Europe remains a beautiful but fragmented kaleidoscope of small and middle powers. Instead of taking the lead in defending freedom worldwide, especially when America’s focus shifts elsewhere – Europe looks lost, trying to convince the U.S. President to change. But he will not change.

“President Trump loves who he is. And he says he loves Europe. But he will not listen to this kind of Europe. One of the biggest problems in today’s Europe – though it’s not often talked about – is the mindset. Some European leaders are from Europe, but not always for Europe. And Europe still feels more like a geography, a history, a tradition – not a real political force, not a great power.”

A united mindset must also be evident in joint actions against aggressors like Russia and punishments. For example, he continued, “But when the time came to use those assets to defend against Russian aggression, the decision was blocked. Putin managed to stop Europe. Unfortunately.”

It is unfortunate that the international community and America has been purposefully silent about the International Criminal Court, saying it’s an American historical position. Simultaneously, there has been no real progress on establishing a Special Tribunal for Russian aggression against Ukraine, against the Ukrainian people. And we have an agreement – it’s true. “Many meetings have taken place. But still, Europe hasn’t reached even the point of having a home for the Tribunal – with staff and actual work happening inside. What’s missing – time or political will? Too often in Europe, something else is always more urgent than justice,” he said.

And punishment. In the Western Hemisphere, Zelenskyy reminded the audience President Trump led an operation in Venezuela. “And Maduro was arrested. And there were different opinions, but the fact remains: Maduro is on trial in New York.

However, Sorry, but Putin – an international war criminal – is not on trial. And this is the fourth year of the biggest war in Europe since World War II – and the man who started it is not only free, he’s still fighting for his frozen money in Europe. And you know what? He’s having some success. It’s true.”

He revealed that Kyiv has already set-up models of cooperation for Ukraine’s defense that can make Europe stronger. “We’re building drones together – including some totally unique ones that no-one else in the world has. We’re producing artillery together – and in Ukraine, it’s much cheaper and faster than in any other country in the world,” he continued.

Investing in Ukrainian drones’ production is investing not only in security of Europe but the ability of Europe to be a security guarantor for other vital regions, he elaborated. Furthermore, he urged, Europe needs to build air defense systems together – ones that can deal with all types of cruise and ballistic missiles. Capitalizing on an Israeli concept that has lately been repeated by President Trump, Zelenskyy said Europe needs its own version of the Iron Dome, “something that can deal with any kind of threat.”

Energy is another vital ingredient and European countries cannot be dependent on a single energy supplier, especially not Russia. “Right now, things are on our side – President Trump is going to export more energy. “But Europe needs to step up and do more long-term work to secure real energy independence. You can’t keep buying gas from Moscow while also expecting security guarantees, help, and backup from the Americans. That’s just wrong.”

Europe’s participation in peace talks should not be relegated to social media, Zelenskyy said, but rather Europe must have a seat at the table when deals about war and peace are made: “Europe deserves to be more than just a bystander, with its leaders reduced to posting on X after an agreement has already been made. Europe needs to shape the terms of those deals.”

He urged European lead in weapons production and technological development and “Europe must become the most attractive market in the world – and that’s achievable.”

With wars erupting around the world, Zelenskyy said Europe must be able to guarantee peace and security for everybody in the world who matter to Europe.

“Europe deserves to be strong. And for this, Europe needs the EU and NATO. Is this possible without Ukraine and without a just end to Russia’s war against Ukraine? I’m certain the answer is ‘no,’” he continued.

“Only real security guarantees for us will serve as real security guarantees for everyone in Europe. And we must ensure that America also sees us as essential. For that to happen, America’s focus must shift to Europe. So that one day, in Washington, they will say – all eyes on Europe. And not because of war, but because of the opportunities in Europe,” Zelenskyy explained.

“Hundreds of millions of people visit Europe to see its landmarks, to learn from its cultural heritage. Millions in the world dream of living like the Europeans do. Will we be able to keep it and pass it to our children? If we in Europe can answer positively, America will need Europe as well as other global players. Europe must shape history for itself and its allies to remain not just relevant, but alive and great."

With this speech, President Zelenskyy not only possesses the distinction of being a heroic national leader, keeping at bay its vicious enemy Russia, but he’s also a leading global visionary player in building a new democratic, secure, prosperous world.

Not a Novel Idea but a Vital One – European Army

With President Donald Trump belittling the NATO alliance, European military and political leaders are reheating the idea of a European Army that would serve purpose except without the fair weather-United States.

“The idea of a common European army has been discussed continuously since the European project began in the early days of the Cold War. The Eisenhower administration even successfully cajoled European leaders to agree to create a common European army only to be thwarted by the French parliament. The European project was a few votes from launching as a military project rather than an economic one. The idea of a common European force was revived in the 1990s as the European Union was formed, but the concept lost favor due to U.S. opposition and commitment to NATO,” Max Bergmann, director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center wrote on the Center for Strategic and International Studies website last year.

Eurocorps, another example, is an autonomous military force of France, Germany (founding states), Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Poland (framework states), Austria, Greece, Italy, Romania and Turkey (associate members) whose aim is to maintain common headquarters and command of selected national military units, up to 65,000 personnel.

The soldiers of Eurocorps are provided by their respective nations. The missions of the Eurocorps are generally assigned under the United Nations, the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, under the European Union Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), or pursuant to a joint decision taken by the contracting parties. According to a separate agreement, Eurocorps forces can be put under the command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

The Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian Brigade is another example.

The idea of a European army was first discussed in the 1950s. It was proposed by France and would have consisted of the “inner six” countries (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany), in order to strengthen defense against the Soviet threat without directly rearming Germany in the wake of World War II. In 1952 the Treaty establishing the European Defense Community was signed but not ratified by the signatories.

However, during the Cold War, Western Europe relied on NATO for defense, precluding the development of European cooperation. Immediately after the “fall of communism,” the defense apparatus was preoccupied by NATO expansion into the former Soviet bloc. The idea of a European army gained popularity after the September 11 attacks and NATO's involvement in conflicts outside of Europe. In a phenomenon dubbed diversification of European security, NATO has come to be responsible for "hard" threats while the European Union has taken a greater role in "soft" threats, including peacekeeping in the western Balkans. The 2009 Treaty of Lisbon also has furthered defense integration within the EU. This has led to support for a European Defense Union, which would be a step higher in collaboration than the current Common Security and Defense Policy.

Today, the threat to global peace, security, independence and sovereignty posed by Russia still exists.

European Union Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has said earlier this year that the bloc should consider establishing a standing military force of 100,000 troops and overhaul the political processes governing defense because one army is better than a dozen armies.

Faced with Russian aggression and the U.S. shifting its focus away from Europe and threatening Greenland, Kubilius argued for a “big bang” approach to re-imagining Europe’s common defense.

“Would the United States be militarily stronger if they would have 50 armies on the States level instead of a single federal army,” he said at a Swedish security conference on Sunday. “Fifty state defense policies and defense budgets on the states level, instead of a single federal defense policy and budget?”

“If our answer is 'no,’ [the] USA would not be stronger, then — what are we waiting for?”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, whose country is the only one to be facing real bloody Russian aggression, the kind foreseen in the NATO principles, on January 20 reiterated his call for the creation of a joint European armed force of at least 3 million personnel.

“Russia plans to have an army of 2 to 2.5 million personnel by 2030. So a European army, while each country keeps its own sovereign forces, must be able to respond. It should be no smaller than 3 million,” Zelenskyy told journalists.

Zelenskyy’s statement comes nearly a year after he first called on European partners to create a new armed force at the Munich Security Conference on February 15, 2025, amid uncertainty over further U.S. support if Russian aggression escalates. Unfortunately, European leaders have taken no steps toward implementing the initiative in nearly a year, according to Zelenskyy.

“Maybe now, with all the new challenges, European leaders will take it more seriously,” the president added.

Zelenskyy said the newly created army would not aim to compete with the U.S. and would not require dissolving NATO. He added that Ukraine could become a cornerstone of such a force due to its combat experience, as well as its military technology and logistics expertise.

“Because we have real wartime experience, we share our technologies with our partners. They give us intelligence — for example, France provides intelligence, and other countries do as well,” Zelenskyy said.