Ukraine-related Davos participants at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, gathered to hear U.S. President Donald Trump's inaugural address.
ADVERTISING
Delegates to the World Economic Forum gathered at Ukraine House on Monday to watch the swearing in of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States. The Ukraine House organized an exhibition of art by Ukrainian artists under the theme “Your Country First – Win With Us” to welcome participants to the annual World Economic Forum.
The project was organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in cooperation with the Office of the President of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodemir Zelensky is among the heads of state who will attend the meeting and will speak at the forum.
Trump promised during the campaign to negotiate a peace deal for Ukraine and repeatedly said he could achieve this within 24 hours of taking office.
The US President has since retracted this statement and stated that a six-month window was a more realistic time frame for achieving this goal. His nominee for special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, said an agreement could be reached within 100 days.
Moscow and Kiev are trying to strengthen their negotiating positions through battlefield successes ahead of possible ceasefire talks to end Russia's nearly three-year-long invasion of Ukraine.
Participants at the event in Davos watched as Trump officially moved back into the Oval Office. His election raises doubts and concerns among many.
Trump has repeatedly criticized his predecessor Joe Biden for his “ridiculous” military and financial support for Ukraine. The new US president has often promised to stop “donations” to Kiev and instead use the money to finance projects aimed at helping Americans.
-His comments have unsettled Ukraine, which is heavily dependent on Washington for support. Andrei Dligach, a delegate who attended the event at the Ukraine House in Davos, suggested that Kiev should “sell” itself to Trump as a new opportunity.
“Ukraine should sell itself to Mr. Trump, to President Trump, as a new opportunity. Ukraine is the next “big thing” for the Western world. Not a question mark, but an opportunity in terms of security, a new economy and adaptability,” he said.
Euronews spoke to Andy Hunder, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, at the event. He says Ukraine's business landscape and growth opportunities could be an important factor in turning the tide in Ukraine's favor.
“The new government, in which so many come from business, is pro-business. And I think Ukraine has so much to show, firstly, that Ukraine is open to business.
Ukraine has shown more resilience in its fight against Russia than many of its allies could have predicted. Not only have the Ukrainian armed forces prevented Putin from making significant territorial gains, but their business environment has also continued to develop positively in the meantime.
“The American companies operating in Ukraine today, companies like McDonald's, which served 95 million customers this year alone. And other companies opening stores in Ukraine, American companies, etc. Ukraine is open for business and ripe for opportunity,” Hunder added.
Trump was sworn in while business and political leaders met for a week in the Swiss ski resort. The US President will also take part in the meeting virtually just a few days after his return to the White House.
The coming days will shed light on what the Trump presidency could mean for Ukraine and the war with Russia.
