On January 16, 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky attended the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This was Zelensky’s first visit to Davos as president. While in previous years he has spoken via video, this year he aimed to deliver an important message to publicize Ukraine’s urgent needs.[i] High-level officials from many countries attended the event and made presentations on various topics such as conflict resolution and artificial intelligence.[ii]
Zelenski planned to keep his country’s long-running and largely deadlocked war on the agenda of Western leaders. But Israel’s war with Hamas is also on the world agenda. Among the topics discussed at Davos were innovation in Europe, the economic impact of productive artificial intelligence and corporate support for clean technologies.[iii]
One of the most notable contacts was the meeting between the prime ministers of Qatar and Jordan. The program also included speeches by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that the focus of the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Houthis in Yemen was to “focus on the symptoms and not treat the real problem”. He said that the real problem that prompted the US and UK to retaliate against these attacks was Israel’s war against Hamas.[iv]
“We welcome foreign investment in China with open arms,” said Chinese Premier Li. Emphasizing that China’s economy grew by 5.2% last year, above the target of 5%, Premier Li criticized US sanctions that limit his country’s ability to purchase advanced computer chips:[v] “The achievements of technology should be used to benefit all of humanity and should not be used as a means to limit or suppress another country.”
Chinese Premier Li’s speech included statements on the growth of the country’s economy and criticism of the US restrictions on computer chip purchases. This is an important development in terms of global economic balances and trade relations.
European Commission President Von der Leyen reiterated that the EU does not want to break with Beijing, but wants to mitigate the risks of over-dependence on “market access, competitive conditions and economic security”. Von der Leyen also drew attention to China’s controls on exports of metals used in computer chips.
This outburst by the President of the European Commission reflects the challenges and risks in the EU’s economic relations with China. This could signal a shift in the balance of global trade.
Zelensky’s visit to Davos reflects his efforts to draw attention to his country’s conflict with Russia and seek global support. It shows how Ukraine is positioning itself in the international arena.
As a result, these developments reveal that global leaders have different priorities, and that the international agenda focuses on a variety of issues. The complexity in diplomatic relations and the rapid change in economic balances are noteworthy.
[i] “Zelenskyy Takes Center Stage in Davos as He Tries to Rally Support for Ukraine’s Fight”, NBC News, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/zelenskyy-davos-rallies-support-ukraine-war-russia-rcna134060, (Date Accessed: 16.01.2024).
[ii] “Zelenskyy Takes Center Stage in Davos as He Tries to Rally Support for Ukraine’s Fight”, Associated Press News, https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-davos-world-economic-forum-ukraine-russia-00270fe7a2742d8d00b6cc482ffc3484, (Date Accessed: 16.01.2024).
[iii] Ibıd.
[iv] Ibıd.
[v] Ibıd.
