Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech in Davos and the world’s reaction
17.01.2024
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The President of Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the
World Economic Forum in Davos: «The full-scale war in Europe has been ongoing for nearly two years. Counting the time since Russia’s illegal annexation of our Crimea, it’s been almost 10 years. And for almost 10 years, Russia has been interfering in African countries, from Sudan to Mali. The Syrian war, still bleeding because Putin decided to prove something to the world, has been ongoing for almost 13 years».
Zelenskyy’s speech at the World Economic Forum, Source:
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2300121667749
He expressed the opinion that
one individual has deprived the world of 13 years of tranquility, replacing them with widespread suffering and global crises. Vladimir Putin is actively working to normalize practices that should have become obsolete in the 20th century – such as large-scale deportations, the destruction of cities and villages, and the ominous notion that conflicts may never cease.
Putin personifies war itself. The assertion is that he singularly perpetuates various wars and conflicts, obstructing all attempts at peace restoration.
«We must change. We all must change to the extent that the madness that resides in this man’s head or any other aggressor’s head will not prevail.
And we – we all in the free world – exist as long as we can defend ourselves. If anyone thinks this is only about Ukraine, they’re fundamentally mistaken. Possible directions and even timeline of a new Russian aggression beyond Ukraine become more and more obvious» –
added Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Are you ready to defend another state?”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also set a rhetorical question for all listeners: «Let me ask very honestly: which European nation today can provide a combat ready army on par with ours, holding back Russia? And how many men and women are your nations ready to send to defend another state, another nation?
If one must fight against Putin together in the years ahead, isn’t it better to put an end to him and his war-strategy now, while our brave men and women are already doing it? They are the world’s chance. They are».
According to the President of Ukraine, in any direct confrontation, there’s always a point where a catastrophe can be stopped: Ukraine is that opportunity.
He is absolutely sure that
Pyongyang and Tehran are simply using Putin’s madness while he still has technologies and resources to pay them. No one believes in his future or invests in it.
“Don’t escalate!”
«Before the full-scale invasion, we constantly heard – don’t escalate! We called for proactive action, sanctions to prevent war expansion. We were told: don’t escalate. And after February 24th, 2022, nothing harmed our coalitions more than this concept.
Every “don’t escalate” to us, sounded like “you will prevail” to Putin. We asked for new types of weapons, and the response was “don’t escalate”. But then weapons arrived, and there was no escalation. A Russian missile fell on NATO territory – the response again was “don’t escalate.”
But retaliation at that moment could have taught Russia a lot and would have added necessary confidence to the West. We talked about blocking the transit of sanctioned goods to Kaliningrad, but the response was “don’t escalate”. Full force of the sanctions could have forced Putin to concessions», –
added Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He says that because of “don’t escalate,” time was lost. The lives of many of Ukrainian most experienced warriors, who fought since 2014, were lost. Some opportunities were lost and the lesson is clear. Everyone thought Russia had missiles that couldn’t be shot down, but American Patriots shot down everything.
President Zelenskyy meets with JPMorgan’s Dimon in Davos seeking big-bank investment, Source:
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politic...dimon-davos-country-seeks-big-bank-investment
Peace Formula
There was the meeting of national security advisors regarding the implementation of the Peace Formula. More than 80 countries and international institutions were represented. Volodymyr Zelenskyy had negotiations with the President of Switzerland, discussing the possibility of holding a summit at the leaders’ level in Switzerland – the first summit, the Global Peace Summit.
«I invite every leader and country that respects peace and international law to join us. Together we can answer any crucial questions. And it will be the best answer. Peace must be the answer», – emphasized Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The reaction of experts to Zelenskyy’s speech and new military aid packages from world leaders
«
Zelenskyy at the World Economic Forum in Davos was as usual eloquent, serious, and to the point, telling a select audience of politicians, businesspeople, and highbrow opinion makers that the only decent, the only morally defensible end to the present war in his country is a clear victory over those forces of evil, which want to obliterate Ukraine as a prelude to attacking Central and Western Europe.
Per Nyholm. Photo credit:
https://imatges.vilaweb.cat/nacional/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Per-Nyholm-5-07120426.jpg
Any compromise, any compliance with Russian dreams and pipedreams, will compromise the democracies. This means that
any plane, rocket, tank, cannon, grenade, or mine invested by the West in Ukraine is an investment in the future of Europe», –
added Per Nyholm, the Ukrainian Review ambassador, Danish journalist, columnist and foreign correspondent at the liberal Danish daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten.
Antony John Blinken, 71st United States secretary of state.
Secretary of State,
Antony Blinken has warned that Putin has aggressive designs that extend beyond Ukraine and will not stop at the country’s borders if he is allowed to win.
«
Putin will not stop, I think he will go to NATO countries after Ukraine», –
emphasized Blinken.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron
«France will deliver 40 new long-range Scalp missiles and “hundreds of bombs” to Ukraine», – The President of France,
Emmanuel Macron announced.
France had already delivered these
Scalp missiles in the summer of 2023. These missiles are capable of targeting targets located 500 kilometers away. During the previous delivery, the Minister of Defense at the time,
Sébastien Lecornu, nevertheless specified that the missiles delivered were modified to only have a range of 250 kilometers.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
German Chancellor
Olaf Scholz told good news: «President Biden and I agree: we want to continue to provide Ukraine with financial, humanitarian and military support.
Germany is providing more than seven billion euros in military goods in 2024».
Ben Hodges, former Commanding General US Army Europe
«Putin doesn’t have to worry about what Russians think, about the media challenging him. He knows that his political future is tied to the success of the fight against Ukraine. Therefore, he will spend as many Russian lives as it takes to do whatever he needs. Whoever controls Crimea will win this war», –
said Ben Hodges, former Commanding General US Army Europe.
The general believes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces need to block both routes by which one can get there: the Kerch Bridge and the land corridor from Rostov along the Azov coast.
Lithuanian president, Gitanas Nausėda
«Of course military support is a key issue…
We need to support Ukraine as soon as possible, and as much as possible. Without massive support with military equipment, it’s not possible to keep Russian pressure on Ukraine. We need the speed of implementation, because decisions had done but the implementation unfortunately is too slow», –
said the Lithuanian president,
Gitanas Nausėda.
Ivan Tarn, a
veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian War, ambassador of The Ukrainian Review said: «President Zelenskyy’s speech in Davos reminded global leaders of the importance of their role in responding to Russia’s unprovoked aggression, which has significantly impacted the global economic environment.
Ivan Tarn, a veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian War, ambassador of “The Ukrainian Review”, Source:
https://theukrainianreview.com/
This conflict ended a period of development and growth in domestic and international markets that began after the collapse of the Soviet Union. We witnessed three decades of strong economic growth, during which many important achievements were made, such as the practical elimination of famine in Africa.
However, these achievements have now been completely negated by Russian aggression and the provocations of its allies. We are witnessing more and more hot spots of conflict around the world, destabilizing global economic processes. Putin has opened Pandora’s box, the closure of which will require global influence and cooperation».
Conclusion
President Zelenskyy’s speech is a powerful plea for global unity against the Russian aggression and a call to action for a decisive end to the war in Ukraine. By combining a stark critique of Putin’s actions with a proactive proposal for a Global Peace Summit,
Zelenskyy positions Ukraine as a pivotal player in shaping a more peaceful future. The speech resonates with urgency, challenging the international community to move beyond cautious rhetoric and actively engage in building a just and stable peace.
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