In the Swiss ski town of Davos, the “Russia House” was a standard fixture of Russian soft power at the annual World Economic Forum, a gathering of top business and government leaders.
‘Russia House’ in Davos becomes war crimes exhibit ahead of Zelensky address
The Russia House had in the past “proven its effectiveness as a platform for promoting Russian initiatives among representatives of international business and official circles,” according to its website, which is hosted by the Roscongress Foundation, a Russian lobbying organization.
The site where fancy cocktail parties and schmoozing between Russian and international officials once took place now greets passersby with a window sign reading: “This used to be the Russian House in Davos. Now it’s the Russian War Crimes House in Davos.”
For the first time in its history, the forum will take place during an ongoing war in Europe.
Russian representatives were not invited to this year’s Davos gathering, which usually takes place in the winter, after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ukraine is set to be a main focus of the forum, which centers on the theme “History at a Turning Point.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the forum via video link Monday morning as the first head of state to speak. Other senior Ukrainian officials will be attending the gathering in person, including the foreign minister, two deputy prime ministers and the mayor of Kyiv.
The slew of Ukraine-related panels at the conference offers a reminder of how the war has rippled across the international business and policy landscapes. One event focuses on the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the invasion, another is about “health care in times of crisis,” and another addresses concerns over a global food crisis set off by the disruption in supply chains.
The United States and other nations have determined that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine, citing intelligence and the brutal violence inflicted on civilians in Mariupol, which was under siege for weeks as Moscow sought to take control of the strategic port city. President Biden has called the invasion a “genocide.” Russia has denied committing war crimes in Ukraine.
The Victor Pinchuk Foundation and the PinchukArtCentre worked with Ukrainian officials, artists and media outlets to dress the space with depictions of war and to “highlight how Ukrainians defend democracy and their freedom not only in a physical war, but also in a social and political front,” the foundation said in a statement.
The foundation, named for Ukrainian oligarch and businessman Victor Pinchuk, “aims to inform about the main facts, share faces, names and dates and provide at least some of the victims a platform from which to tell their real story.”
Ishaan Tharoor in Davos, Switzerland, contributed to this report.
Source: WP
