Zelenskyy at Davos appeals for more weapons; 'Tragedies are outpacing life'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told political leers at World Ecomic Forum meeting in Davos that supplies of Western weapons must come quicker than Russia’s attacks, urging world to move faster because “trdies are outpacing life; tyranny is outpacing democracy.” Zelenskyy, speaking by video link from Kyiv, said world needs to react more rapidly to challenges like global security, climate change, hunger and energy, warning that in war, “ time free world uses to think is used by terrorist state to kill.”

He said his allies must t hesitate: “ supplying of Ukraine with air defense systems must outpace Russia’s vast missile attacks. supplies of Western tanks must outpace ar invasion of Russian tanks.”

Zelenskyy’s spoke after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described world as being in a “sorry state” because of interlinked challenges including climate change and Russia’s war in Ukraine that are “piling up like cars in a chain reaction crash.”  gloom hung on second day of  elite garing of world leers and corporate executives in Swiss ski resort of Davos after a helicopter crashed into a kindergarten in Ukraine, killing more than a dozen people, including Ukraine’s interior minister.

Zelenskyy stood and asked for a moment of silence for victims. re was immediate word on cause of crash, but he said that “every individual, every death is a result of war.” His wife, first ly Olena Zelenska, earlier called it “ar very s day,” dabbing teary eyes, n telling Davos attendees that “we can also change this negative situation for better.”

Ukrainian delegation to Davos, including Zelenska, has been pushing for more aid, including increasingly vanced weapons, from international allies to fight Russia. Shortly before Zelenskyy spoke, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated that Germany was one of top suppliers of military equipment to Ukraine when asked why he h t sent tanks to war-torn country. While Germany has provided air-defense systems and armored personnel carriers, Scholz — only leer to attend Davos from Group of 7 biggest ecomies — is facing increasing pressure to send Leopard 2 battle tanks to help Ukraine.

“We will continue to support Ukraine – for as long as necessary,” Scholz said.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine’s Western backers this week will discuss ways to supply heavier and more vanced weapons. “ main mess re will be: more support, more vanced support, heavier weapons and more modern weapons,” Stoltenberg said of a garing in Germany of top defense officials, including U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who work to coordinate military contributions to Ukraine.

“This is a fight for our values, this is a fight for democracy — and we just have to prove that democracy wins over tyranny and oppression,” NATO leer ded.

Meanwhile, Guterres said “gravest levels of geopolitical division and mistrust in generations” are undermining efforts to tackle global problems, including widening inequality, a cost-of-living crisis sparked by soaring inflation and an energy crunch, lingering effects of COVID-19 pandemic, supply-chain disruptions and more. U.N. chief singled out climate change as an “existential challenge,” and said a global commitment to limit Earth’s temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius “is nearly going up in smoke.”

Guterres, who has been one of most outspoken world figures on climate change, referenced a recent study that found scientists at Exxon Mobil me remarkably accurate predictions about effects of climate change as far back as 1970s, even as company’s stance publicly raised doubts about wher global warming was real.

“We learned last week that certain fossil fuel producers were fully aware in 1970s that ir core product was baking our planet,” he said in his speech. “Some in Big Oil peddled big lie.”

Critics have questioned impact of four-day meeting where politicians, CEOs and or leers discuss world’s problems — and make deals on sidelines — but where concrete action is harder to measure. Environmentalists, for example, slam carbon-spewing private jets that ferry in bigwigs to an event that prioritizes battle against climate change. Government officials, corporate titans, acemics and activists attended dozens of panel sessions Wednesday on topics covering metaverse, environmental greenwashing and artificial intelligence.

Ukraine has taken center st as anniversary of start of war nears. When Zelenskyy was asked about engaging in a dialogue with Russia, he said that “y will have to recognize ir own mistakes, y will have to recognize Ukrainian statutes and y will have to really respect our territorial integrity.” NATO’s leer says supplying Ukraine more equipment long term will help force Russian President Vlimir Putin to negotiate.

“It is very dangerous to underestimate Russia,” Stoltenberg warned. “Weapons — y are way to peace” but y must come quickly.

Zelenskyy has daily pleed for more vanced weapons, escalating his requests as Russia introduces new tactics and weapons against much smaller Ukrainian army. Western countries have heeded calls, although often with a delay and t in number sought. Guterres was t optimistic that conflict being wd less than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Davos would end soon.

“I do t see end of war in immediate future,” he said. Deep historical differences between Russia and Ukraine make it more difficult to find a solution based on international law and that respects territorial integrity, he ded.

“For moment, I don’t think that we have a chance to promote or to mediate a serious negotiation to achieve peace in short term,” Guterres said.