A Porsche luxury car passes the Ukrainian pavilion ahead of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Sunday, May 22, 2022.
Holly Adams | Bloomberg | Getty Images
U.S. officials met privately with allies from around the world at the World Economic Forum to discuss continuing aid to Ukraine as Russia entered its second year of unprovoked invasion of the sovereign state.
The wealthiest investors and most powerful world leaders met behind closed doors at the annual gala in Davos, Switzerland, as attendees awaited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He will speak at the forum on Wednesday, when he can plead for more aid for his country.
Mori. Rep. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, one of President Joe Biden’s closest allies in the Senate, told CNBC that he has discussed with officials in Davos the need to continue helping Ukraine.
“I think we have to clearly support shared priorities for Ukraine,” Coons told CNBC in the hallway on Tuesday before retreating into a private conference room at the World Economic Forum’s conference center. He added that U.S. officials and their allies participating in the meeting must be clear about “the time, cost and complexity of countering Russian aggression and trying to liberate all of Ukraine.” Other members of Congress in attendance included senators. Joe Manchin, DW.Va. and Kyrsten Sinema of I-Ariz.
For Coons, it was the latest moment to mention Ukraine’s war with Russia while attending this year’s World Economic Forum. Coons joined dozens of chief executives and other U.S. lawmakers at a private lunch on Monday to discuss the amount of U.S. aid to Ukraine so far. The US has provided some $50 billion in military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine; Congress approved another $44.9 billion in additional funding on Dec. 12. twenty three.
On February 2, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. 24 and thousands have since been killed.
It’s not just Coons or members of Congress from the U.S. delegation addressing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in private.
Biden’s U.S. Labor Secretary, Marty Walsh, told CNBC on Tuesday that the Ukrainian war was brought up while speaking with three members of the Ukrainian parliament at a private dinner at the Steigenberger Belvedere Hotel on Monday. He did not disclose the names of other attendees at the dinner because it was private.
At the dinner, “everyone was rooting for Ukraine” over Russia, Walsh said. He said the conversation led him to think that Ukrainian leaders wanted more economic aid during Davos.