Roman Vintfeld Reflects on Davos 2023 and the Future of Ukraine

WeShield recently helped lead a roundtable discussion in Davos, Switzerland, covering support for Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion. The meeting, hosted by Andriy Kolodyuk Of the Ukrainian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association, featured several prominent entities offering support, including JPMorgan Chase, WeShield.us, BrainChain.ai, and Thursday Ventures. 

The discussion delved into current and future aspects of Ukrainian aid, outlining the status of present economic and humanitarian needs while also plotting strategies for post-war aid.

Among those present was Roman Vintfeld, co-founder of Worldwide Friends, which encapsulates the Ukraine House initiative. For years, Vintfeld has been a strong proponent of Ukrainian wartime aid, leveraging his entrepreneurial and executive roles to benefit the cause. 

“Without investment and a thriving economy, it doesn’t matter who wins or loses the war,” Vintfeld said. “In order for the country to bring everyone back after the war, there have to be jobs, thriving industries, and foreign investments.”

Vintfeld underscored the universal impact of the war, highlighting the implications stemming from Ukraine’s pre-war status as a world leader in agricultural exports – namely, certain metals sent to the US. In the absence of such contributions, the world may soon experience a critical economic domino effect. 

“If you don’t think this is connected to you, think again,” Vintfeld said. “If things don’t stabilize with Russia, you will see a rise in world hunger and higher prices for many more products in the US. Ukraine is America-first, which may be hard for some to understand at first, but if our common adversary wins this conflict, their tentacles will only spread further.”

Following the roundtable discussion, participants received a surprise visit from Vladimir and Vitaly Klitschko and former UK prime minister Boris Johnson – who, like Vintfeld, are using their positions to raise awareness and directly contribute to Ukraine support initiatives. 

Moving forward, WeShield will maintain its support through crucial partnerships with Ukrainian leadership. 

“We are proud to partner with the Kyiv mayor alongside the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America to donate tons of vital medical supplies throughout these tough times,” Vintfeld said. “Especially after the recent loss of our charitable friend’s Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, his deputy Yevhen Yenin, and State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yurii Lubkovych – who were amongst those killed in the Kyiv helicopter crash. Rest in peace to those warriors.”

Moving forward, it will critical for the US to maintain support for Ukraine by sending military and humanitarian aid – with the US pledging to continue such efforts for the foreseeable future. WeShield remains dedicated to supporting Ukraine throughout this unprecedented crisis.