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The war in Ukraine is set to take center stage on Tuesday as A-listers from global business and politics gather in the Swiss Alpine village of Davos with the grand goal of uniting a “fragmented” world.
Military aircraft, troops and police have been deployed to guard the exclusive mountain resort as government leaders, chief executives, activists and celebrities gather for the World Economic Forum’s annual gala.
The World Economic Forum is returning to its traditional winter dates after a three-year Covid disruption that forced the Swiss foundation to hold virtual meetings and postpone last year’s in-person meeting until May.
The week-long forum took place under the theme “Cooperation in a Fractured World” as the planet faced a perfect storm of crises – a Russian invasion of Ukraine, soaring inflation, the specter of recession and climate catastrophe.
“We cannot meet at more challenging times. We have so many crises at the same time,” said German economist Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum.
“I believe we can overcome the multiple crises of the present only if we wholeheartedly build and shape the future,” he said at an event on Monday night, rewarding their humanitarian work.
The Ukrainian conflict that forced the Russians to withdraw from the Davos meeting is back in the spotlight and is likely to be at the heart of a special speech by EU President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday.
Other European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Schulz and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, will address the forum on Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will make the first of three scheduled video appearances at a Ukraine-themed event during the forum on Tuesday morning.
Ukrainian ministers, military leaders, mayors and soldiers formed one of the largest national delegations as Kyiv lobbied for more weapons and financial support from the West.
Former heavyweight boxing champion and Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko told reporters Monday that the war was a tragedy because Russian President Vladimir Putin had “pathological ideas about rebuilding the Soviet empire.”
“We live in the Reich, we don’t want to go back to the Soviet Union. We see our future as part of the European family,” Klitschko said.
– China’s comeback –
China also sent a high-profile delegation as it made a comeback last week after lifting travel restrictions after three years of strict Covid restrictions limited the country’s participation in last year’s World Economic Forum.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who is leading the U.S.-China trade war talks, will deliver a special speech on Tuesday and meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Zurich the next day.
In 2017, President Xi Jinping caused a stir by appearing in Davos as an advocate of globalization.
Climate change was also declared a hot topic, with US climate envoy John Kerry in a speech.
Organizers are keen on discussions to help prepare for COP28, the next round of global climate talks, to be held on Nov. 30 in the oil-producing United Arab Emirates.
But Greenpeace on Friday called the Davos meeting a “disgusting masterclass in hypocrisy” after it published research showing last year’s conference attendees used private jets.
Global charity Oxfam also seized on the meeting, calling on Monday for “billionaire-hitting” policies, including higher taxes on the super-rich to halve their numbers by 2030, and Reduce inequality.
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