Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a stark warning to European leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, accusing them of dangerous complacency in what he termed "Greenland mode"—a state of passive waiting for direction from Washington rather than taking decisive action on continental security.
The pointed critique came as European officials spent much of the week preoccupied with Donald Trump's persistent demands for the United States to assume control over Greenland, a Danish territory. Zelenskyy argued this fixation exemplified a broader pattern of European indecision that has left Ukraine vulnerable and the continent's security architecture uncertain.
"Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words 'Europe needs to know how to defend itself'," Zelenskyy told the assembled dignitaries. "A year has passed, and nothing has changed. Europe remains in Greenland mode: maybe someone somewhere will do something."
The Ukrainian leader's remarks highlighted a growing frustration among some allies that European capitals have become overly reactive to the unpredictable impulses of the Trump administration rather than forging their own strategic path. While the speech carefully avoided direct attacks on Trump himself, it placed responsibility squarely on European shoulders for failing to build independent capacity to counter Russian aggression.
The timing proved particularly significant as Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Moscow for discussions with Vladimir Putin, representing the latest American attempt to broker some resolution to the ongoing conflict. Despite Trump's limited and inconsistent support for Ukraine since returning to office—providing some military aid while simultaneously suggesting territorial concessions—Zelenskyy chose to focus his fire on Europe's failure to step up.
The concept of "Greenland mode" resonated throughout the Swiss resort, where Trump's territorial ambitions had dominated private conversations and public statements. The American president's suggestion that the U.S. should acquire Greenland "forever" has consumed diplomatic bandwidth that Zelenskyy believes should address more pressing threats.
"Everyone gave attention to Greenland, and it is clear most leaders are not sure what to do about it," Zelenskyy observed. "It seems like everyone is just waiting for America to cool down on this topic, hoping it will pass away. But what if it does not: what then?"
This rhetorical question cuts to the heart of European strategic anxiety. The continent finds itself caught between an increasingly assertive Russia, an American ally whose commitment appears conditional, and its own internal divisions over defense spending and military readiness. The war in Ukraine has become a test case for whether Europe can maintain its security when American priorities shift.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly acknowledged the problem, calling Greenland an "unneeded distraction" from the fundamental challenge posed by Moscow's war. Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin similarly warned that European leaders "cannot lose focus on the situation in Ukraine," describing conditions there as "desperate."
Yet even as they recognized the problem, European responses have remained tentative. The dispatch of symbolic military contingents—Zelenskyy mocked the suggestion of "sending 14 or 40 soldiers to Greenland"—demonstrates what he sees as a fundamental misunderstanding of strategic priorities. Such gestures, he implied, reveal a continent still thinking in terms of symbolic shows rather than substantive capability.
Meanwhile, Ukraine faces a brutal winter campaign. Russian forces have intensified attacks on civilian infrastructure, leaving millions without reliable power or heating in Kyiv and other major cities. The timing of these assaults appears calculated to break Ukrainian morale as the war enters its fourth year. Missile strikes targeting energy facilities have created a humanitarian crisis that compounds the military challenges facing Ukrainian defenders.
Zelenskyy's Davos intervention reflects a broader effort to reshape the narrative around European security. By coining the "Greenland mode" phrase, he has given critics of European passivity a powerful shorthand for what they see as strategic myopia. The term captures both the absurdity of fixating on remote territorial disputes while a war rages on Europe's eastern flank, and the deeper problem of psychological dependence on American leadership.
The Ukrainian president's message carries particular weight given his country's direct experience of Russian aggression. Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, Kyiv has repeatedly urged European partners to accelerate military production, provide advanced weapons systems, and develop contingency plans that do not depend on American leadership. While some progress has occurred, it has often come too slowly or with too many conditions attached.
Some European officials have begun echoing these concerns. The European Union has launched initiatives to boost defense manufacturing and coordinate military procurement, but progress remains slow and fragmented. National capitals still prioritize domestic concerns over collective security, while the continent lacks unified command structures or rapid deployment capabilities. The so-called "strategic compass" has yet to translate into strategic action.
The Greenland controversy has inadvertently highlighted these weaknesses. When Trump first raised the issue, European responses ranged from bemusement to diplomatic outrage, but few offered concrete alternatives or demonstrated readiness to handle such challenges independently. The episode revealed a continent skilled at diplomatic protest but less prepared for strategic initiative.
Zelenskyy's critique extends beyond immediate military concerns. He questions whether Europe can maintain its economic influence, technological edge, and diplomatic relevance if it continues to defer to Washington on fundamental security questions. The continent's prosperity has long rested on American security guarantees, but those guarantees now appear less certain than at any time since the Cold War's end.
The Ukrainian leader's speech also carried implicit warnings about the consequences of failure. If Russia succeeds in Ukraine, he suggests, it would embolden further territorial ambitions and demonstrate that European borders remain negotiable. This would validate the very "Greenland mode" mentality he condemns—a belief that great powers can redraw maps with impunity while smaller nations and regional blocs watch helplessly.
Moreover, Zelenskyy implied that European hesitation sends dangerous signals to Moscow about the continent's resolve. Each debate over tank deliveries, each delay in artillery ammunition, each hesitation about long-range missiles becomes data for Kremlin analysts assessing Western staying power. Strategic ambiguity, once a diplomatic tool, has become a strategic liability.
As Davos concluded, the question facing European leaders was whether Zelenskyy's provocation would prompt meaningful change or simply join the chorus of warnings that have gone unheeded. The coming months will test whether Europe can develop the strategic autonomy he demands, or whether it will remain, in his words, waiting for "someone somewhere" to solve its most pressing challenges.
For Ukraine, the stakes could not be higher. Each day of European hesitation translates into continued Russian attacks, additional civilian casualties, and prolonged uncertainty about the country's future. Zelenskyy's "Greenland mode" critique serves as both diagnosis and plea: a recognition of Europe's current paralysis and an urgent call for it to end before the continent's security architecture suffers irreparable damage.
The speech's impact may extend beyond immediate policy changes. It reframes the European security debate around questions of agency and capability rather than mere alliance management. If Europe cannot defend its interests on its borders, Zelenskyy asks, what kind of power has it become? And if it continues waiting for American direction, how can it claim to be a strategic actor in its own right?
These questions lingered as delegates departed the Alpine resort, leaving European leaders to ponder whether this Ukrainian warning would finally spur the transformation they have long discussed but rarely pursued. The alternative, as Zelenskyy made clear, is a continent that remains perpetually in "Greenland mode"—watching, waiting, and hoping that someone else will solve its problems.