As the Ukraine-Russia conflict rages on, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelthas sounded a clarion call for a unified European defence force, seeking to bolster the continent’s security architecture amid growing concerns that the United States may scale back its military support. With the war-torn nation’s fate hanging precariously in the balance, Zelenskyy’s bold proposal for an ‘Armed Forces of Europe’ aims to galvanize the European Union’s collective defence capabilities, ensuring that the region can stand strong against emerging threats and assert its independence on the world stage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has argued that now is the moment to establish a unified European military force, asserting that Ukraine’s own army, though battle-tested, is insufficient to secure the country’s future.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Europe must consider the possibility that “America might refuse to support Europe on issues that pose a threat.”

Ukraine has been fending off Russia’s full-scale invasion for nearly three years. Zelenskyy pointed out that many leaders have long advocated for Europe to build its own military force.

“I really believe that time has come,” he stated to the gathering in Germany.

“The armed forces of Europe must be created.”

His remarks follow separate calls earlier this week in which US President Donald Trump spoke with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy, in an effort to initiate negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

At a White House briefing, President Trump expressed doubt that a country in Russia’s position would ever allow Ukraine to join NATO.

In reaction, President Zelenskyy emphasized that the priority should be to prevent events from unfolding exactly as Putin intends—especially since Trump also suggested that Ukraine is unlikely to recover all of its occupied territories.

In doing so, Trump seemed to have implicitly conceded to two of Putin’s war objectives even before formal negotiations began.

“A few days ago, President Trump told me about his conversation with Putin,” Mr Zelenskyy stated at the gathering on Saturday.

“Not once did he mention that America needs Europe at the table. That says a lot,”

“The old days are over when America supported Europe just because it always had,” he opined.

Following his call with Mr Putin, the US president told the two leaders we would likely meet soon to discuss a peace deal over Ukraine.

Mr Trump later guaranteed Mr Zelenskyy that he, too, would have a seat at the negotiating table.

“Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement, and the same rule should apply to all of Europe,” President Zelenskyy stated in Munich.

He went on to say he believed it would be “dangerous” if Mr Trump met Mr Putin before he and the newly-elected US president met.

He warned Europe’s leaders, rhetorically questioning whether their forces would be prepared if Moscow launched either a direct attack or a “false-flag” operation—an assault intended to appear as though it were carried out by another group.