Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska arrives in Switzerland to drum up support for Kiev at the global elite gathering in Davos, where Russian deal tycoons are all conspicuously absent

Olena Zelenska came to Switzerland to get global elite support for Ukraine at the Davos summit.

The First Lady of Ukraine walked the tarmac in Zurich today ahead of the 52nd annual World Economic Forum (WEF) at the luxury ski resort attended by world leaders and business tycoons.

She is expected to deliver a speech on Tuesday while other Ukrainian officials will speak on panels to forge greater unity at the summit, where Russian oligarchs are conspicuously absent.

The WEF was once the playground for Moscow’s billionaires, but since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there are no more glamorous parties and investment meetings with Russian politicians, executives and academics.

In contrast, a large contingent of Ukraine’s closest allies from the Baltics, Scandinavian countries and Eastern Europe, along with leaders of the European Union and NATO, are ahead of a key meeting in Ramstein, Germany on Friday, at which more advanced weapons will be sent to expectation will be promised. . to Ukraine.

Zelenska landed after Russian airstrikes destroyed a civilian home in Dnipro and killed 40 people.

Meanwhile, Russia and Belarus began joint military exercises today, raising fears in Kiev and the West that Moscow could use its ally to launch a new ground offensive in Ukraine.

“On my way from Lithuania to @Davos where I was invited to speak. Lithuania is a very good friend of Ukraine, so you know what I’m going to say. #ArmUkraineNow,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Twitter.

Of the G7 leaders, only Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose country is under pressure to supply Ukraine with the latest Leopard tanks, will address those present.

She is expected to give a speech on Tuesday while other Ukrainian officials will address panels (pictured with her husband Volodymyr).

The First Lady of Ukraine walked the tarmac in Zurich today ahead of the 52nd annual World Economic Forum

A photo shows a World Economic Forum (WEF) sign at the convention center

“In the absence of major powers, the WEF remains a platform for medium-sized and smaller nations to speak and be heard in the face of Russian aggression,” said a European diplomat.

Ukraine, which dominated the last major meeting of the WEF in May, sent another high-level delegation.

It will focus on placing the blocks for future rebuilds.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late last year, after talks with Larry Fink, CEO of the world’s largest investment fund BlackRock, that companies are ready to invest in Ukraine’s recovery and will establish themselves in Davos.

“The attitude and prospects of Ukraine are presented there,” Zelenskyy said in December.

The Ukraine House on the city’s main street contains an exhibition about the destruction of the city of Kherson after it was recaptured by Ukrainian troops from the Russian occupation.

Emergency services work under the rubble at the site where a building was badly damaged in a recent shelling in Donetsk

It is hosting a concert, photo exhibitions, seminars, cocktail events and other gatherings this week to drum up support for Ukraine’s efforts to expel Russian troops.

Fulfilling this mandate and maintaining impartiality can be a challenge for the WEF, a forum for promoting peace and economic integration.

It has a panel on mapping the trajectories of Russia, but none of the speakers are Russian.

The slowdown in the global economy will be a key issue in Davos, with officials including Kristalina Georgieva, director of the International Monetary Fund, and Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, speaking during sessions.

Inflation has soared as the world reopened after the pandemic and Russia invaded Ukraine, pushing up food and energy prices, and while slowly slowing in major economies such as the US and those in Europe, inflation remains painfully high .

Georgieva said in an IMF blog post on Monday that divisions between nations – this year’s theme at Davos is “Working together in a fragmented world” – threaten the global economy by “making everyone poorer and less secure.”

Georgieva urged strengthening trade, helping vulnerable countries deal with debt and strengthening climate action.