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Trump to join Davos meeting digitally, organisers say

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60 heads of state and government due to attend WEF meeting

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Ukraine's Zelenskiy to make address, take questions -WEF

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Middle East tensions, climate crisis also on the agenda

(Adds details, quotes and background in paragraphs 10-13,

14-16)

By Marwa Rashad

LONDON, Jan 14 (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.