Muhamad Yehia
World Economic Forum delegates gathered at the Ukraine House on Monday to watch Donald Trump get sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.
The Ukraine House organised an exhibit featuring art by Ukrainian artists under the slogan “Your Country First – Win With Us” to welcome participants at the annual World Economic Forum.
The project was organised by Victor Pinchuk Foundation in cooperation with the Ukrainian president’s office. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is among the leaders set to attend the meeting, and will address the forum on Tuesday.
Trump had pledged to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, in his campaign trail, saying repeatedly that he will be able to achieve that within 24-hours of taking office.
The US president has since rolled back on that position, saying that a six-month window is a more realistic timeline to achieve that objective. His nominee for Special Envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, said that a deal could be brokered within 100 days.
Moscow and Kyiv are seeking battlefield gains to strengthen their negotiating positions ahead of any potential truce talks to end the almost three-year full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Attendees of the event in Davos watched on as Trump officially re-occupied the Oval Office.
His election is sure to send shockwaves of doubt and concern to many who are only left to wonder what the next four years of US policy towards Ukraine would look like.
Trump has repeatedly criticised his predecessor Joe Biden for his “ridiculous” military and financial support for Ukraine. The new US president has often pledged to end “donations” to Kyiv and instead use that money to fund projects aimed at helping Americans.
His remarks have left Ukraine, which relies heavily on Washington’s support in a state of uncertainty. Andrei Dligach, a delegate attending the event at the Ukraine House in Davos suggested Kyiv should “sell itself” to Trump as a new opportunity.
“Ukraine should sell itself to Mr Trump, to President Trump, as the 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 that Ukraine’s business landscape, and opportunity for growth, could be a big factor in turning the tide to Ukraine’s favour.
“The new administration where so many are from business, and are pro-business. And I think Ukraine has so much to show, firstly that Ukraine is open for business.”
Ukraine has shown resilience beyond what many of its allies could have predicted in its fight with Russia. Not only have Ukrainian forces prevented Putin from making significant territorial gains, but their business environment has also continued to flourish in the meantime.
“The American companies that today continue to work in Ukraine, companies like McDonald’s, that have served 95 million customers this year alone. And, other companies that are opening businesses in Ukraine, American companies, and the opportunity. Ukraine is open for business and ripe for opportunity,” added Hunder.
Trump was sworn in as business and political leaders kicked off a week of meetings in the Swiss ski resort. The US president is set to take part in the meeting virtually, just days after his return to the White House.
The days to come will clear the fog and begin to show us insights as to what the Trump presidency might entail for Ukraine and the ongoing war with Russia.