DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) 鈥� Ukraine鈥檚 first lady on Tuesday pressed world leaders and corporate executives at the to do more to help her country at a time when Russia's invasion is leaving children dying and the world struggling with food insecurity.
As the anniversary of the war nears, Olena Zelenska said parents in Ukraine are in tears watching doctors trying to save their children, farmers are afraid to return to their fields filled with mines and 鈥渨e cannot allow a new Chernobyl to happen,鈥� referring to the 1986 nuclear disaster as Russian missiles have for months.
鈥淲hat you all have in common is that you are genuinely influential," Zelenska told attendees. 鈥淏ut there is something that separates you, namely that not all of you use this influence, or sometimes use it in a way that separates you even more."
She spoke as hundreds of government officials, corporate titans, academics and activists from around the world descended on the resort town. The weeklong talkfest of big ideas and backroom deal-making prioritizes , climate change and the , but it's never clear how much concrete action emerges to help reach the forum鈥檚 stated ambition of 鈥渋mproving the state of the world.鈥�
鈥淲e are all internally convinced that there is no such global problem that humanity cannot solve," Zelenska said. 鈥淭his is more important now when Russia鈥檚 aggression in Europe poses various challenges."
The fighting has killed thousands of civilians, displaced millions and jolted food and worldwide, raising inflation and .
鈥淭here is a right to food that every human being has, and it鈥檚 an insult for mankind and for human nature itself, that in the 21st century, it is possible for us to have mass starvation simply because because there is a targeted aggression of some countries," she said.
Ukraine and Russia had been , barley and other food supplies to Africa, the Middle East and Asia, where many were already going hungry. The head of the U.N. World Food Program says 350 million people worldwide are on the brink of starvation because of conflict, climate change and COVID-19, whereas it was about 80 million when he took the job in 2017.
鈥淵ou think you can鈥檛 get any worse. Then the breadbasket of the world is shut down: Ukraine. Now (the country has) the longest bread lines in the world,鈥� WFP Executive Director David Beasley told The Associated Press at Davos.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged the executives and leaders at Davos to keep aiding Ukraine.
鈥淚t is a perfect opportunity to take investment and reform to pave this way for Ukraine towards the European Union," she said. 鈥淎nd my call on you is: We need every helping hand on board. Ukraine deserves to have as much support as possible."
While urging unity for Ukraine, the head of the EU's executive arm to compete with China and the United States as the 27-nation bloc looks to remain a leader on plotting a greener future.
She said the plan would make it easier to push through subsidies for green industries and inject funding into EU-wide projects to help reach a 2050 goal of climate neutrality. The bloc also would be more forceful in countering unfair trading practices.
Instead of trade disputes, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He focused on his optimistic vision for a rebound of the world鈥檚 second-largest economy after strict COVID-19 measures. He spoke at Davos after China released data Tuesday showing in at least four decades last year.
鈥淚f we work hard enough, we are confident that in 2023, China鈥檚 growth will most likely return to its normal trend. The Chinese economy will see a significant improvement,鈥� said Liu, a senior economic official on China鈥檚 Cabinet.
Scores of notables, including former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, trudged through the snow and crisscrossed the Alpine town of 10,000 to attend panels on everything from the environment to cryptocurrencies to the fight against COVID-19.
Many minds were on the devastating in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, killing dozens of people in one of the deadliest single attacks in months.
Zelenska said 鈥渢here are no day offs from war" and that 鈥渆veryone in Ukraine has to risk their lives every day," but added that she believed the world would unify for peace.
Her husband, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will be beamed in by video Wednesday to complement the in-person delegation of his wife and officials such as Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.
Davos offers a new chance for Ukrainian envoys to ramp up international support for donations of and anti-rocket defenses and greater pressure to further isolate and .
France, , the U.S. and other nations are to Ukraine, such as tanks or armored combat vehicles.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, whose country borders Russia and is looking to join NATO, said the West should send Russian President Vladimir Putin the message that 鈥渨e will support (Ukraine) as long as needed 鈥� five years, 10 years, 15 years, whatever it takes 鈥� we will support Ukraine, and this will not stop."
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AP journalists Masha Macpherson and David Keyton in Davos contributed.
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Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press
