Zelenskyy To Address WEF Following 'Peace Summit' Announcement

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to deliver his keynote address to the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos at around 1415CET (0815ET, 1315GMT) today in the aftermath of Switzerland agreeing to host a global peace summit for Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg posts on X: "...Despite a serious battlefield situation, there is cause for optimism: Ukraine retains its independence, Ukrainians have rejected Russia & chosen the West; and Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before."

• The peace summit, announced alongside President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd, does not have a set date yet with planning in the early stages. Zelenskyy stated that "We are open to all countries that respect our sovereignty and territorial integrity at the peace summit, so draw conclusions about who we invite...We would like the Global South to be present." The lack of invite to representatives of Russia risks the event being more of a 'talking shop', rather than a path towards eventual peace talks.
• In a meeting with Zelenskyy, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken claimed that the US would "sustain our support" for Ukraine. However, this pledge risks running up against a brick wall in the form of the US Congress, which continues to hold up a major White House supplemental aid package amid partisan disagreements over the US' southern border.
• Incidentally Blinken will, after a late announcement, take part in a fireside chat-style session at the WEF at 0400ET/0900GMT/1000CET on Wednesday 17 Jan.