Zelensky defends his peace plan for Ukraine at Davos
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky has landed in Switzerland to take part in the World Economic Forum - also known as the Davos Forum - a meeting that brings together thousands of people, including heads of state and business leaders, to discuss the state of the global economy as well as the geopolitical situation.
- Zelensky will meet with business leaders "to strengthen Ukraine's defence and economic stability"
- AI creates optimism among businessmen
The Davos Forum, whose theme this year is "rebuilding trust", takes place in the midst of several wars that are dividing the world into different camps.
In this regard, the Ukrainian leader will present and defend his 10-point peace plan, which aims at Russia's withdrawal from the country and the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, including Crimea, through diplomatic and economic pressure on Moscow.
This plan, called the Ukrainian Peace Formula, also envisages the creation of a special court to prosecute Russia's war crimes, as well as the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war and children forcibly deported to Russian territory.
Moscow, which is not participating in the Davos Forum, has already rejected the plan, claiming it would be impossible to implement.
Instead, the Ukrainian delegation in Davos has stressed the need for China - Russia's ally - to take part in talks on the plan. "China plays an important role. We must find ways to work with China on this," said Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, as quoted by Reuters.
Switzerland provides Ukraine with not only humanitarian aid but also long-term financial assistance, political support, and sanctions. Today, we discussed a new long-term support program.
I am grateful to President @Violapamherd for agreeing that our teams will begin joint work… pic.twitter.com/qqEsxKyY4c— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 15, 2024
In addition to China, Cassis said other countries close to Moscow, such as Brazil, India and South Africa, were involved in some talks and could play an important role. "We must do everything possible to put an end to this war," he said.
Ukraine's Western allies have expressed their full support for Kiev and its peace plan, and called on the Global South - which has not been so involved in the war - to pressure Russia to respect the UN Charter and its fundamental principles.
Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, participated in a recent meeting with representatives from 18 Asian countries, 12 African countries and six South American countries. "The countries of the Global South are increasingly involved in our work," Yermak said on his Telegram account.
On the sidelines of the 4th meeting of national security and political advisers on the implementation of the Peace Formula, our delegation held a series of meetings with representatives of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania. pic.twitter.com/iMmVzaU6wU
— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) January 15, 2024
Zelensky will meet with business leaders "to strengthen Ukraine's defence and economic stability"
In addition to promoting the peace plan, Zelensky will try to keep the Ukrainian war on the forum's agenda. In recent months, much of the world's attention has shifted to the Middle East due to the war between Israel and Hamas and fears that it will spread regionally.
To this end, Zelensky has already met with several political leaders, including Swiss President Viola Amherd, who promised to start working with Kiev to help organise a 'peace summit' for Ukraine.
Switzerland will allocate 1.5 billion francs to support Ukraine from 2025 to 2028, as announced by the country's president, Amherd, during a press conference with President Zelensky.
— Maria Drutska 🇺🇦 (@maria_drutska) January 15, 2024
According to her, 🇨🇭 sees a special focus on reconstruction.
According to the Ukrainian leader, his conversation with Amherd revolved around sanctions against Russia, finding ways to use frozen Russian assets, cooperation on humanitarian demining, financial support, reconstruction of Ukraine and the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Moscow.
Switzerland did join international sanctions against Russia and provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine, although it stopped short of sending military hardware, citing its policy of neutrality.
Zelensky is also scheduled to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as other senior EU and NATO officials.
⚡️Ukrainian President #Zelensky began his work in #Davos with a meeting with #NATO Secretary General Jens #Stoltenberg. pic.twitter.com/1y4Bu0KE7i
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) January 16, 2024
The Ukrainian president is also expected to meet with the CEO of JP Morgan to look for new ways to finance his reconstruction plans. Zelensky has already announced that, in addition to political leaders, he will meet with business figures "to strengthen Ukraine's defence and economic stability".
AI creates optimism among businessmen
Despite the fact that the Davos Forum will be held amid an unfavourable geopolitical landscape that also directly affects the economy, businesses have been optimistic due to the expectations surrounding artificial intelligence, a tool that can help boost productivity.
For this reason, AI will be an important topic this week in Davos. Addressing the issue and its benefits will be a keynote talk featuring Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, whose company has invested billions in OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT.
