Davos — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a stark warning to European leaders Wednesday, declaring that the continent can no longer rely solely on NATO and must develop independent military capabilities to counter Russian aggression.
"Today, Europe relies only on the belief that if danger comes, NATO will act," Zelenskyy told an audience at the World Economic Forum. "We can't rely solely on NATO anymore."
The statement represents a remarkable shift in rhetoric from a wartime leader whose country has received tens of billions in military aid from NATO members. It reflects growing uncertainty about American commitment to European security — particularly under an administration that has openly questioned NATO's value and threatened military action against alliance members.
Zelenskyy questioned whether NATO would actually respond if Russia attacked alliance members Lithuania or Poland. "If Putin decides to take Lithuania or strike Poland, who will respond?" he asked. "Right now, NATO exists thanks to the belief that the United States will act."
To understand today's headlines, we must look at yesterday's decisions. NATO's security guarantee — enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty — has been the cornerstone of European defense since 1949. An attack on one member is considered an attack on all. That guarantee has been invoked only once, after the September 11 attacks, when European allies rallied to support America.
Now, for the first time in NATO's 77-year history, European leaders are openly questioning whether Washington would honor that commitment. The catalyst is recent American threats against Denmark over Greenland — threats that shattered assumptions about alliance solidarity.
Zelenskyy was particularly dismissive of recent symbolic troop deployments, calling them "unserious." He noted that deploying 40 soldiers to Greenland "sends a signal to Putin" — but not the signal intended. "It shows that Europe is not serious about its own defense," he said.
The Ukrainian president criticized European defense spending as inadequate even after recent increases. "Until America pressured Europe to spend more on defense, most countries were not even trying to reach 2% of GDP, the minimum needed," he said, according to Eurointegration.
He suggested that true deterrence would require defense spending of at least 5% of GDP across European nations — more than double current levels in most countries.
The call for a European army is not new. French President Emmanuel Macron has advocated for such a force for years, arguing that Europe needs "strategic autonomy." Yet the concept has faced resistance from Eastern European members who view NATO — meaning American military power — as the only credible deterrent to Russian aggression.
What's changed is the messenger. Zelenskyy leads a country fighting for survival against Russia, dependent on Western military aid. His willingness to publicly question NATO's reliability carries weight that similar statements from Western European leaders do not.
Poland and the Baltic states have long insisted that only American military presence provides genuine security. They view European defense initiatives with suspicion, fearing they could become vehicles for weakening NATO rather than strengthening collective defense.
Zelenskyy's comments may shift that calculation. If Ukraine — fighting a hot war against Russia — believes Europe cannot rely on America, that assessment becomes harder for Eastern European skeptics to dismiss.
The practical obstacles to a European army remain formidable. European militaries use incompatible equipment, operate under different command structures, and answer to different political authorities. Creating an integrated fighting force would require years of coordination and massive investment.
Moreover, European nations show little appetite for the defense spending increases such a force would require. Germany, Europe's largest economy, only recently abandoned its post-World War II reluctance to rearm. Most European nations struggle to meet even NATO's 2% GDP defense spending target.
Yet the strategic logic of Zelenskyy's argument is difficult to refute. Europe faces an aggressive Russia on its eastern border, an assertive China expanding its global influence, and an increasingly unreliable transatlantic partner. Continued dependence on American security guarantees that may not be honored represents a profound vulnerability.
As Zelenskyy put it with characteristic bluntness: "Europe must decide whether it wants to be a subject or an object in international affairs." The answer to that question will shape the continent's security architecture for decades to come.
