Zelenskiy meets business leaders at Davos

By Guardian - Graeme Wearden - Tue 16 Jan 2024

Coons was one of an estimated 50 or more people who met with Ukraine’s leader today, as Zelenskiy pressed attendees at Davos for their support in the ongoing war with Russia.

The mood in the room here where Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy met with business leaders this morning was “upbeat, determined, positive,” US senator for Delaware, Chris Coons, tells us.

Coons, who sports a badge with both the US and Ukrainian flags linked, explains that the meeting went “very well, it was very encouraging”, and that it was an expression of business and national support for Ukraine.

Zelenskiy gave us an update on the war with Russia, and the determination of the Ukrainian people,” Coons explains, adding:

“He urged that we remain as determined as the Ukranian people and that we see this through.”

There were a number of bankers in the room (including Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan), and also the head of fertilizer giant Yara, Coons tells us.

Senator Coons adds that Youtube’s CEO talked about the efforts they have made to take down Russian disinformation and malign content and to make sure that students are able to learn, businesses can communicate, and government can function.

Ursula von der Leyen made “forceful remarks” about her six visits to Kviv during the war, how impressed she is with their reform movements to combat corruption, to improve transparency to create a good business environment.

Attendees also heard from Jens Stoltenburg, the head of Nato, about about the status of the war, and some of the crucial progress in the Black Sea, the challenges of the spring and summer offensive.

Stoltenburg encouraged everyone to remain committed and determined, Coons says.

Penny Pritzker, the US special representative for Ukraine economic recovery, told the meeting about how she recently took a group of US business representatives to Kyiv to see for themselves the possibilities.

Coons, who sat next to Germany’s economy minister Robert Habeck, was also complimentary about Ukraine, telling us:

I spoke about how in my own manufacturing business, we used to say ‘hire for attitude, train for skill’.

The Ukrainian people have shown they have both – ferocious determination, a great attitude, a work ethic and determination, and very good skills, technical ability and agility, engineering skills, the capacity to find a way even when desperately outgunned and outmanned by a much bigger force.

That’s a great place to invest.

I spoke about the Marshall Plan, and how it wasn’t charity, it was in America’s own security and economic interest.

One European banker pointed out that while the Marshall Plan was a great thing, it took America several years after the end of the war to actually offer the help.

Coons argues the process can start even before the war is over, in parts of the country less affected by the conflict which are stable and secure.

He says:

Here we need to begin now, we need to now wait until it is fully, finally over?

On funding, Coons told the meeting with confidence that United States will deliver the $61bn which is in President Biden’s supplemental funding request.

Coons, a key Biden ally, tells us:

“There will be a lot of disagreement, there will be a lot of sturm und drang, a lof of noise, but I am confident that within a few weeks it will pass.”

Von der Leyen told the meeting that she is confident the 50bn euros from the EU for development for the next four years will also pass.

Concerns that the Middle East could push Ukraine off the geopolitical agenda were also referenced in the meeting, Coons says.

But he is confident that there is support on both sides of the Senate to defend and support Ukraine.

He adds that US financial support has helped Ukraine’s agricultural sector, and the wider economy, citing its remarkable growth this year.

It’s grown almost 5% this year, in the middle of a war, a punishing war, where you’ve got huge amounts of land now unfarmable, filled with mines and unexploded ordinance, 10s of thousands of men who should be at work on the front lines, and with millions of people having left the country.

Zelenskiy: Strengthen our economy and we will strengthen your security.

Just time for one more question….

Q: You had 70 global CEOs in a room this morning (full details here) – what can we do to help you?

Our main strength is our people, Volodymyr Zelenskiy replies, who have proved they are smart, talented, modern, smart-witted and brave.

He says:

Only our people and your investments can rebuild a resilient economy.

New investments, provided with transparency, will create new employment opportunities and allow our people to come back from abroad.

And he ends with a sales pitch:

Strengthen our economy and we will strengthen your security.

The hall then rises to its feet for a standing ovation – a rare tribute at Davos, although Zelenskiy also received one last year when he gave a speech by video conference (Nelson Mandela got on too!).

Volodymyr Zelelskiy then explains that there must be justice, rather than revenge against Russia.

The Ukrainian people will never forgive Putin, and the people who committed this terrorism, who took time from our children who were deprived of their childhood, he says.

There must be accountability, and consequences, he says.

And he rejects the suggestion that time is on the Russian president’s side. Neither Putin, nor his children or grandchildren, will have rest, Zelenskiy says.

Onto questions:

Q: How long will the Russian people allow Putin to continue this war?

Switching to Ukrainian, Zelenskiy says it depends how long the Russian people are prepared to be deaf, to not hear or see anything, and pretend everything is all right

That’s a question for the people of the Russian Federation, whether they are cabable of changing themselves, not for me, Zelenskiy says, adding;

I don’t believe Putin is capable of changing, because only humans can do that.