On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be the center of attention at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The event will also feature top officials from the US, EU, China, and the Middle East.

Zelenskyy will make efforts to ensure that the ongoing and stagnant defense against Russia remains a top priority for political leaders. This is similar to the situation in Israel, where the 100-day long conflict with Hamas has diverted global attention and raised fears of a larger conflict in the Middle East.

On Tuesday, the Davos conference center hosted discussions on a wide range of topics, including innovation in Europe, the economic effects of generative AI, corporate backing for sustainable technologies, and rising interest rates.

The top events of the day will include discussions with the prime ministers of Qatar and Jordan, as well as speeches from Chinese Premier Li Qiang, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Sullivan, when questioned by The Associated Press, stated that he will not be meeting with China’s delegation at Davos as he prepares for discussions with Zelenskyy and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

According to Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Prime Minister of Qatar, the focus on the attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels is diverting attention from the actual problem of Israel’s conflict with Hamas. This has led to retaliatory actions by the United States and Britain.

The main priority should be addressing the conflict in Gaza. Once this is resolved, I believe other issues will also be resolved. He stated that a two-state solution is necessary to bring an end to the conflict.

Sheikh Mohammed cautioned that a military conflict would not be able to control the Houthi assaults.

He stated that the current situation in the region is a recipe for escalation everywhere.

Zelenskyy, once reticent about leaving his war-torn country, has recently gone on a whirlwind tour to try to rally support for Ukraine’s cause against Russia amid donor fatigue in the West and concerns that former U.S. President Donald Trump — who touted having good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin — might return to the White House next year following his commanding win Monday in the Iowa caucuses.

This is Zelenskyy’s inaugural visit to Davos as the president, following his previous participation via video. He has caught the interest of the media and others seeking to speak with him, but he is accompanied by a significant security team.

The individual aims to use the event’s prominent platform as an opportunity to raise awareness for Ukraine’s urgent issues. Various allies, including business leaders and officials such as von der Leyen, were informed of the necessary support to aid in Ukraine’s reconstruction at an exclusive “CEOs for Ukraine” meeting.

After the session, Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, a Ukrainian energy company, expressed the need for Ukrainian and international companies to work together in rebuilding the Ukrainian economy. He emphasized the importance of self-reliance and creating a better future for Ukraine.

He stated that it was crucial for both Ukrainian and international businesses to hear Zelenskyy declare that the government is committed to implementing reforms and promoting change in the country to encourage investment.

The day before, Zelenskyy visited Bern, the capital of Switzerland. President Viola Amherd promised that her country would collaborate with Ukraine to plan a “peace summit” for Ukraine.

The focus of the gathering in Davos is on “restoring faith,” and this is happening as this feeling has been deteriorating worldwide: Conflicts in the Middle East and Europe have led to a growing division among nations.

Although the global political climate has been bleak, companies seem to have a more optimistic outlook. This is partially due to the potential for artificial intelligence to improve productivity. In 2023, major stock indexes in the Western world rose and there was optimism that inflation would decrease, leading to lower interest rates.

Artificial intelligence is a prominent subject being discussed at the Davos conference this week. One of the sessions scheduled for Tuesday features a significant talk by Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, whose company has made substantial investments in OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.

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Masha Macpherson and David Keyton, journalists from AP, made contributions from Davos.

Source: wral.com