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Zelensky appeals for Ukraine aid at Davos: 'Tragedies are outpacing life'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivers a speech by video to the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday. Photo by Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA-EFE
1 of 6 | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivers a speech by video to the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday. Photo by Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA-EFE

Jan. 18 (UPI) -- During a video address to the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked world leaders for more equipment to fight Russia.

Zelensky began with a moment of silence to honor his country's minister of internal affairs, Denys Monastirsky, and more than a dozen others who were killed hours earlier in a helicopter crash near Kyiv.

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"Tragedies are outpacing life. The tyranny is outpacing democracy," he said. "The time the free world uses to think is used by the terrorist state to kill."

Zelensky urged the business and government leaders gathered in Davos, Switzerland, to provide more equipment for Ukraine, so that it continue to defend itself against Russia's air and ground attacks. He spoke about the missile strike on a building in Dnipro on Saturday that killed 45 people.

"The supplying of Ukraine with air defense systems must outpace Russia's next missile attacks," he said. "The supplies of Western tanks must outpace the next invasion of Russian tanks."

Ukrainian first lady Olena Zalenksa spoke at Davos on Tuesday.

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Zelensky's speech came hours after the helicopter crash near a school that killed Monastirsky, his first deputy Eugene Yenin, the ministry's State Secretary Yuri Lubkovich, Deputy Head Tatiana Shutyak, Lt. Col. Mikhail Pavlusko and leading inspector of Communications Mykola Anatsky.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said in a statement that search and rescue operations had been completed and a total of 14 people were found dead, including one child.

"We express our condolences to all the family and friends of the dead colleagues, civilians and children," the Internal Affairs Ministry said on Facebook.

Zelensky called for an investigation into the cause of the crash.

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