24 May 2022, DAVOS, Switzerland – Ukraine House Davos hosted First Lady Olena Zelenska and Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov on the three month anniversary of Russia’s unprovoked invasion.
The house was packed again for the second day of panels on topics ranging from digital warfare to the humanitarian heroes working in Ukraine; the road to the International Criminal Court and what Ukraine needs to win the war.
The First Lady said: “It’s the dream of every mother to come back to a normal life. We have huge plans – and we hope they will come true. We hope you will help because we can’t do it without you – and we long for the victory.”
Minister Fedorov spoke about the work being done by the Ministry Digital Transformation, including the Diia app which has become the envy of digital savvy governments worldwide. He also spoke about the difficult task of identifying slain Russian soldiers and contacting their families on social media to inform them that they have died. This is because the Russian army has abandoned tens of thousands of bodies of their dead soldiers and refusing to bring them back to their families.
Discussions focused on the work of Ukrainian humanitarian organisations such as the Ukrainian World Congress, Nova Ukraine and the Ukraine Volunteer Service, which are all providing direct, high-impact, rapid results on the ground in Ukraine.
Looking to the future, the panels addressed how Ukraine can get justice through international law. Wayne Jordash, President of Global Rights Compliance Foundation, set a sombre tone by stating that Russia’s actions in Ukraine amounts to genocide. He encouraged the continued documentation of crimes to assist with any future prosecutions of Russian war crimes.
The panellists discussed “What Ukraine Needs Now to Win”. During a panel moderated by former US Ambassador to Ukraine, John Herbst, the house received a visit by President of Poland Andrzej Duda, who lent his continued support to Ukraine. The panel concluded that serious sanctions are needed to end this war, as well as continued military support.
