Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Europe to form its own formidable army, warning it could no longer rely on guaranteed support from the US.

Addressing European leaders at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Zelensky said “the old days are over — when America supported Europe just because it always had”.

His comments come after US President Donald Trump had a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, before speaking to Zelensky about starting negotiations to end the war.

It was the first chat between US and Russian leaders since Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader told the conference he was “not happy” that Trump’s first move was to speak with Putin.

Zelensky warned it would be “more dangerous” if Trump met with the Russian president before him.

He said Ukraine would never accept any peace deals reached behind its back or without Kyiv’s involvement — an implicit message to Trump as he strives to end the war with Russia.

“Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement and the same rule should apply to all of Europe,” he said.

Zelensky’s warnings come as Europe has been left off the negotiating table led by the US, triggering an immediate rebuke from European leaders.

He said Europe could not rule out the possibility that “America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it” and noted many leaders had long spoken about how Europe needed a military.

“I really believe that time has come,” he told the high-profile gathering of world leaders and foreign policy experts.

“The armed forces of Europe must be created.”

Zelensky said “three years of full-scale war (with Russia) have proven that we already have the foundation for a united European military force”.

“And now, as we fight this war and lay the groundwork for peace and security, we must build the armed forces of Europe.”

Noting the presence of NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the audience, Zelensky said his idea “wasn’t about replacing the alliance”.

“This is about making Europe’s contribution to our partnership equal to America’s,” he said.

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour at the conference, Zelensky also revealed he had told Trump that Putin was only agreeing to talks because he was afraid of the US president.

“Yes. I told Trump that Putin is afraid of him,” said Zelensky.

“And now Putin knows.”

Ukraine has repeatedly said it wants to come together with the US and Europe to devise a joint strategy before any Trump-Putin meeting.

The Trump administration so far has left the impression among some European allies that it was making concessions to Putin at Ukraine’s expense before any negotiations begin, though remarks by some top US officials have raised confusion.

Zelensky predicted the Kremlin would try to persuade Trump to attend Russia’s May 9 commemorations in Moscow, when it marks the Soviet victory in World War II with an annual military parade through Red Square.

To Europe’s leaders, he issued warnings, asking rhetorically whether their armies would be ready if Moscow launched an open or “false-flag” attack — an attack designed to look like it was perpetrated by someone other than the group responsible.

“If this (Ukraine-Russia) war ends the wrong way, he (Putin) will have a surplus of battle-tested soldiers who know nothing but killing and looting,” he said, citing intelligence reports saying Russia will dispatch its troops to Belarus this northern summer.

-with AP/AAP