President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Davos, Switzerland, to participate in the annual World Economic Forum, his spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, confirmed for Suspilne on Jan. 21.
Zelensky's itinerary will include bilateral talks with leaders of Latin American and Asian countries and meetings with top business officials. Ukraine's head of state is also expected to deliver a speech in Davos later in the day.
During one of the Jan. 21 sessions, the forum participants will address the "Peace through Strength" approach, referring to the Kyiv-promoted strategy of using a position of strength to push Russia toward a just peace deal.
The attendees will also discuss the growing defense spending in Western and Central Europe, the future of NATO, the development of threats on the continent, and the European defense strategy.
Nations of Central and Western Europe have ramped up defense investments since the outbreak of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, raising the number from 240 billion euros ($250 billion) in 2022 to 350 billion euros ($360 billion) in 2024.
Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak will participate in a discussion of the Ukrainian peace formula with Jens Stoltenberg, the former NATO secretary general, on Jan. 22. The session "Ukraine: The Road Ahead" will take place on Jan. 23.
The event’s speakers include Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, and Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics.
Nearly 3,000 representatives from over 130 countries, including 60 heads of state and government, 900 CEOs of the world’s leading companies, and forum partners, are expected to attend the forum in 2025.
The 2025 World Economic Forum’s central theme is "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age," and the topics of discussion include geo-economic uncertainty and rethinking the role of artificial intelligence, among others.
Zelensky also attended the World Economic Forum in January 2024, arriving only a day after Davos hosted the fourth meeting on Ukraine's peace formula, which preceded the global peace summit in Switzerland.
KI Insights
(Updated: )
