Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed his war-torn nation will attend next month’s World Economic Forum in Davos, according to Bloomberg.
In past appearances at Davos, Zelenskyy has outlined Ukraine’s ambitions to be a regional leader, and called for businesses to invest in the country’s economy; in particular, during a speech to the 50th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22 2020.
Zelenskyy’s priorities have certainly changed since.
The Ukraine president recently spoke with Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock Inc. with a focus on efforts to rebuild after the war, as reported by GoldSilverBitcoin.
Zelenskyy and Fink met virtually to discuss plans for BlackRock, an investment management firm, to take a leading role in reconstruction. According to the President’s website, the team at BlackRock has been working for months advising Ukraine on how to structure the reconstruction funds of the country.
Zelenskyy also promised, in an end-of-year speech before Parliament, to increase by more than 10,000 the number of satellite-based Starlink antennas operating in Ukraine, and complete the total digitalization of state services.
In a May 2022 virtual opening speech at the WEF, Zelenskyy said sanctions must be taken even further to halt Russian aggression, including the imposition of an oil embargo, blocking all Russian banks, and cutting trade with Russia entirely. Here is Zelenskyy speaking about some of the sanctions which should be promulgated:
In his remarks, which were marked by standing ovations by Davos summit attendees, Zelenskyy said that Russia had turned into a war crime state, and its actions, if allowed to go unpunished by the global community, risk inspiring other would-be aggressor states in future.
Zelenskyy, speaking through a translator, called Russia a rogue state of war criminals, and said that he would not be surprised if Russia used chemical or nuclear weapons.
Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine must harness green energy in the future, building a decentralized power system which cannot be destroyed with a missile strike.
Zelenskyy also said that he had spoken with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and raised the prospect of Italy contributing to bolstering air defenses against Russia.
