By Marwa Rashad
LONDON (Reuters) -Donald Trump will mark his return to the global stage with a virtual World Economic Forum appearance in Davos next week, as world leaders await details of the incoming U.S. President's policies and his pledge to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump is due to return to the White House on Jan. 20, with his inauguration for a second term as U.S. President coinciding with the start of the 55th annual WEF meeting of political and business leaders in the Swiss mountain resort.
Meanwhile, another key player in any attempt to bring peace to Ukraine, the country's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will make a special address and take questions, the WEF meeting organisers said on Tuesday.
Among the other global leaders due to attend the meeting, which will include 60 heads of state and government, are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and China's vice premier Ding Xuexiang, WEF President and CEO Borge Brende said during a press conference.
Brende said Trump, who has twice previously attended Davos, will join "digitally" on Jan. 23, without giving further details. He said it would be a "very special moment" to learn about the new Trump administration's policy priorities.
"There is a lot of interest to decipher and to understand the policies of the new administration, so it will be an interesting week," Brende said.
Topics on the Davos agenda range from mounting global geopolitical and economic uncertainty to trade tensions, climate goals and how AI can help make lives better.
Business leaders have become more optimistic about the economy given Trump's pledges to reduce regulation, potentially cut taxes and ease restrictions on activities including mergers and acquisitions, Rich Lesser, global chair of Boston Consulting Group, told Reuters ahead of the meeting.
Lesser said, however, that underlying optimism is being offset by concerns about tariffs, deportations, a widening budget deficit and the U.S. relationship with China.
MIDDLE EAST
This year's meeting in Davos is taking place against "the most complicated geopolitical backdrop in generations," Brende said, adding that the forum will have a strong focus on Middle East geopolitics, including high-level diplomatic talks.
Delegates will discuss developments in Syria and the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Yemen alongside other topics.
Participants will include Qatar's Prime Minister, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister, Syria's foreign minister, the U.N. special envoy on Syria, the Iranian Vice President, Israel's President and the Palestinian Prime Minister.
"There will be a hard work at the situation in Syria, the terrible humanitarian situation in Gaza ... the potential escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. We were very close to it between Israel and Iran, and I don't think we're out of the woods yet," Brende said.
CLIMATE
The WEF will this week release an analysis looking at companies that account for two-thirds of global market capitalisation, which will show that only about 10% are taking meaningful and tangible action on the climate and nature agenda.
Business and political leaders gathering in Davos from Jan. 20 to Jan. 24 are also due to discuss how to ensure energy remains affordable, secure and green and the challenges preventing acceleration of efforts towards energy transition.
"We’re in a really challenging moment for climate, where countries are asking if other nations are doing their share," said Boston Consulting Group's Lesser.