Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland last Tuesday where he urged the political and corporate leaders to advance peace by continuing to enforce sanctions against Russia while helping Ukraine rebuild, the Associated Press reported.
Dressed in his trademark fatigues, Zelensky did his best to keep world leaders focused on the war in his country now that much of their attention shifted to concerns over the war in Gaza growing into a wider Middle East conflict.
In his remarks, Zelensky said those who believe that the war with Russia was “only about Ukraine” were “fundamentally mistaken.”
Describing Russian President Vladimir Putin as the embodiment of war, Zelensky blasted Putin for destroying cities in Ukraine and leaving its people with “the terrifying feeling that the war may never end.
Zelensky also criticized those who in early 2022, warned him not to escalate tensions before Russia’s invasion, saying nothing harmed Ukraine’s coalition more following the invasion “than this concept.”
He said Vladimir Putin interpreted the warning not to escalate tension to mean that Russia would prevail.
While Zelensky expressed his gratitude to the West for the sanctions imposed on Russia, he called on Ukraine’s allies to ensure that the sanctions were being fully enforced.
Zelensky also expressed confidence that Ukraine’s biggest allies in the war, the United States and the European Union, would provide additional aid in a “matter of weeks,” despite the current political infighting that has delayed further assistance to Ukraine.
While in Davos, Zelensky met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Secretary of State Blinken said the Biden administration was determined to continue providing support for Ukraine and was “working very closely with Congress” to get that done.
Last Tuesday was President Zelensky’s first in-person visit to the WEF annual meeting since the war began. In previous years, he addressed the meeting via video link.
