In a significant appeal at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged for international backing in his country’s conflict against Russia.
Asserting that “Russian President Vladimir Putin must live to regret the conflict initiated nearly two years ago,” Zelenskyy’s message resonated powerfully.
According to the British newspaper “The Guardian,” Zelenskyy, in his Davos speech, emphasized that the war’s impact extends beyond Ukraine, warning against the mistake of viewing it as a localized issue.
Post discussions in Davos with 70 CEOs and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about “freezing the war in Ukraine” as a resolution to the conflict.
He stressed the need for “intensifying economic sanctions against Russia to hinder its arms industry,” highlighting the western components in every Russian missile.
Zelenskyy proposed to the CEOs at the forum to invest in rebuilding Ukraine’s war-torn economy, stating, “Strengthen our economy, and we will strengthen your security.”
He added, “The more Putin and his allies lose money, the more they will regret this war. We need to dispel the illusion that global unity is weaker than the hatred of one man.”
Simultaneously, the Ukrainian President conducted a series of meetings with world leaders at the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum “Davos 2024” in Switzerland, themed “Rebuilding Trust,” seeking to garner support for Ukraine.
As per individual tweets from the President’s (Platform X) account, Zelenskyy met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Belgian King Philippe, and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
In one tweet, he mentioned meeting Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, emphasizing potential development of logistics centers for Ukrainian agricultural goods in African countries and discussing broader bilateral relationship enhancement.
He also met with the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, to intensify relations and discussed increasing bilateral communications at various levels.
In another tweet, Zelenskyy noted his first-ever meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, briefing him on the peace formula and underscoring the importance of the African nations’ voice.
Zelenskyy also tweeted about his first meeting with Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, expressing gratitude for Singapore’s humanitarian aid to Ukraine and support for sanctions and United Nations resolutions.
He invited Singapore to join the peace formula and preparations for the Global Peace Summit, discussing potential areas of cooperation.
