Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had been cautious about leaving the war-torn country, has recently made a series of whirlwind trips to try to rally support for Kiev.
Ukraine's president spent 24 hours trying to convince Wall Street elites to invest and mend ties with former allies as part of a bid to boost a faltering war effort.
On January 16, the Ukrainian leader “dominated” the first day of the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, which gathered top officials from the US, EU, China, the Southern Hemisphere, etc.
Mr. Zelensky spent 24 hours trying to persuade Wall Street elites to invest and mend ties with allies as part of a broader effort to keep his country’s long and largely deadlocked war against Russia from the minds of political leaders amid Western donor fatigue and growing concerns about a broader conflict in the Middle East.
Adding another layer of worry for Ukraine and the European Union (EU) is the risk that former US President Donald Trump – who often boasts of having good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin – could return to the White House next year after his resounding victory in the Republican primary in Iowa on January 15.
24 hours of negotiation and reconciliation
It was Mr Zelensky’s first trip to Davos as Ukraine’s president after speaking via video in previous years, and he attracted the attention of media and others trying to get a word in – while the leader was surrounded by a large security detail.
A team of secret service agents in dark suits and earpieces followed Mr Zelensky around. Private bodyguards are everywhere in the Swiss resort when billionaires from around the world come here, but none face the kind of threats Mr Zelensky does.
The Ukrainian president arrived in Switzerland amid a growing sense that the momentum on the battlefield was shifting in favor of the Russian military as the alliances that have supported his country through two years of fighting began to unravel. He used his precious 24 hours in Davos to refresh the narrative.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, in Davos, Switzerland, January 16, 2024. Photo: Fox Business
Mr Zelensky’s day in Davos was marked by a handshake with Jamie Dimon, the boss of the world’s most famous bank: JPMorgan, and then attending the annual gathering of bankers, investors and globalists. They meet every year in Davos to brainstorm big ideas and try to solve the world’s problems, including how to raise money to rebuild war-torn Eastern European countries and Ukraine’s ailing economy.
Davos also served as a stage for a live speech by the Ukrainian president, who acknowledged the challenges facing his country, called for increased pressure on Russia and participation in Ukraine’s reconstruction. Mr Zelensky, wearing olive green trousers and a black crew-neck sweater, was greeted with applause as he took the stage in a room packed with hundreds of WEF attendees, including business and high-level financial elites.
There were also lively bilateral contacts during the 24 hours, including meetings with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg – an organization that Ukraine has always wanted to join.
According to the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Stoltenberg discussed the situation on the battlefield, security cooperation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom within the framework of the G7 Joint Statement, the progress of similar agreements with other partners, as well as preparations for the next NATO Summit in Washington DC, where Kiev expects decisions to be made to bring Ukraine closer to NATO membership.
President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 16, 2024. Photo: Getty Images
Zelensky ended a busy day at Ukraine House with Polish President Andrzej Duda. Duda was Zelensky’s “soul mate” early in the war, helping maintain Ukraine’s links to the outside world. Poland served as a transit point for billions of dollars of Western weapons headed to the front lines and thousands of tons of Ukrainian grain headed for global markets.
But the two sides have been at odds over pressure from Polish farmers angered by the influx of cheap Ukrainian grain. Tensions flared on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last September, when Duda said Zelensky was like a drowning man, threatening to drag down those who tried to help him.
At his Davos press conference, the Polish president was the only one to break the silence. “It’s no big secret that we are facing war fatigue,” he said. But he soon agreed to meet face-to-face with Zelensky for the first time since the “war of words” in New York. The hug between the two leaders at Ukraine House seemed a little awkward, but it showed they were ready to mend ties.
The theme of the Davos meeting was “rebuilding trust,” and it comes as that sentiment is spreading globally: Wars in the Middle East and Europe increasingly divide the world into different camps.
“No one can cover the sky with one hand”
President Zelensky used his Davos speech to dismiss the potential threat that Washington would withhold military aid to Ukraine if Donald Trump wins this year's US presidential election.
“No one can cover the sky with one hand,” the Ukrainian leader said, but acknowledged that the views of some in the Republican Party had raised concerns in his country.
Political infighting has delayed more military aid from the US, with Republicans resisting Democratic President Joe Biden's request for more support for Kiev in its fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces.
And Mr Trump, the Republican presidential frontrunner, has refused to commit to continued military assistance to Ukraine and has frequently claimed that he could end the war “in 24 hours” if re-elected to the White House.
Ukrainian artillery fires towards Russian positions on the front line in the Luhansk region, January 13, 2024. Photo: NY Times
In December, Mr. Zelensky refused to answer when asked whether Mr. Trump’s victory threatened his country’s independence. But on January 16, in Davos, Mr. Zelensky said that “radical voices really scare society in Ukraine,” not just from Mr. Trump but also from “a significant part of the Republican Party.”
In his speech, the Ukrainian president also called on the West to tighten sanctions against Moscow and increase support for Kiev to ensure that the Kremlin will not succeed in the war.
He said the West’s hesitation to support Ukraine and fears of an escalation in the war with Russia were costing time and lives and could drag the war on for years. Mr Zelensky said he was strongly opposed to freezing the conflict on its current course.
He said sanctions against Moscow needed to be properly enforced and the lack of sanctions on Russia's nuclear sector was a testament to the West's weakness.
EU and NATO leaders echoed Mr Zelensky’s concerns, telling WEF attendees that the West could not stop supplying weapons and finance to Ukraine if it wanted Kiev to prevail.
“Ukrainians need predictable funding throughout 2024 and beyond. They need adequate and sustainable arms supplies to defend Ukraine and regain territory,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, who also spoke at Davos, said support for Ukraine was not charity but an investment in the alliance's own security.
“We just have to stand with Ukraine. At some stage, Russia will understand that they are paying too high a price and sit down and agree on some kind of fair peace – but we have to stand with Ukraine,” Mr Stoltenberg said.
Ukrainian artillery awaits orders to fire toward Russian positions on the front line in the Luhansk region, January 13, 2024. Photo: NY Times
The WEF takes place in Davos as Kiev's army is on the defensive after a major counter-offensive last year failed to penetrate Russia's fortified defenses in southern and eastern Ukraine.
Speaking hours after the Ukrainian president, Mr Putin asserted that his forces were gaining the upper hand.
“Not only did their counterattack fail, but the initiative was completely in the hands of the Russian armed forces,” the Russian leader said in a televised speech on January 16.
“If this continues, Ukraine's statehood could be dealt a very serious and irreparable blow,” the Russian president added.
Mr Putin also ruled out the possibility of peace talks with Ukraine, saying the country had put forward “forbidden formulas for the peace process” .
Minh Duc (According to Bloomberg, NBC News, Sky News, Al Jazeera)
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