NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participated in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday (18 January 2023), where he called for more support to Ukraine.
In the plenary session on “Restoring Security and Peace”, the Secretary General stressed that NATO Allies have provided unprecedented support to help Ukraine uphold its right of self-defence, and called for deliveries of military equipment to be stepped up at this critical time.
“Weapons are the way to peace,” he said, “what happens around the negotiating table is totally dependent on the strength on the battlefield. And if we want Ukraine to prevail, then they need the military strength’.
The Secretary General described the war in Ukraine as a “fight for democracy,” stating that “it is extremely important that President Putin doesn’t win this war – it will be a tragedy for Ukrainians, but also very dangerous for all of us. Because then the message to authoritarian leaders, not only to Putin, but also other authoritarian leaders is that when they use brutal force, when they violate international law, they achieve what they want. And that will be a very bad and dangerous lesson. It will make the world more dangerous and us more vulnerable.”
Other participants in the panel were President Andrzej Duda of Poland, First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko of Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland of Canada, and U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. The discussion was moderated by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.
While in Davos, Mr Stoltenberg had a bilateral meeting with President Gitanas Nausėda of Lithuania, and also met with Swiss Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports; with the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska; Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, and other senior officials.
Source – NATO
Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Davos: It is important to keep Europe and the world united around support for Ukraine
Kyiv, 18 January 2023
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizes that Russia’s war against Ukraine continues, but Ukrainians remain strong and united, and it is very important to maintain the unity of the countries of Europe and the world in supporting our country, which is fighting for common civilizational values.
The Head of State made this statement in the course of his online participation in “Restoring Security and Peace” session in the framework of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
“It is necessary to continue supporting Ukraine, supplying the appropriate weapons needed to defeat the enemy on the battlefield. We also need financial support. Here I would like to thank all the countries of the European Union, which helped with our budget deficit and continues to support us this year,” he said.
Answering a question about the current military situation, the President noted that the war slows down in winter for obvious reasons. At the same time, fierce fighting continues in the east of Ukraine.
“We are standing firm and strong. I am grateful to all our warriors – those who are alive and those who are unfortunately no longer with us – for their courage. It is important that we are strong not only in the east of Ukraine, where it is really hot now. We are strong within our country and united. We are mobilized because we are motivated, because we are defending what is ours,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President also recalled the energy challenges for Ukraine, which are related to the absolute disrespect for people on the part of the Russian Federation, which is striking the Ukrainian energy system with missiles and Iranian drones, trying to cause chaos in the country.
“It is therefore very important that partners help Ukraine with air defense systems. In large numbers, because there is a shortage of them. Many countries also help us with alternative power supply options,” he said.
The Head of State emphasizes that Ukraine sees Russia trying to strengthen itself and preparing for a revanche.
“We believe that they will not succeed, because they are fighting not only against Ukraine, but also against a civilized approach to life,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced.
The President also emphasized that one of Ukraine’s priorities is to obtain security guarantees against similar aggression in the future, as our country is not yet a NATO member. And this is one of the points of the Ukrainian Peace Formula proposed by him.
“We understand that we are not yet in NATO. Russia also understands this and is fighting to ensure that Ukraine’s path to NATO is not short. But I realize that we are on this path. NATO is the best guarantee of security for Ukraine, our society, and the future for our children. However, we have already offered – while we are still on this path – security guarantees for our country. We believe that the civilized world will support our proposals,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Source – President of Ukraine