DAVOS, Switzerland — The World Economic Forum is back with its first winter meetup since 2020 in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos, where leaders are seeking to bridge political divisions, buttress a hobbling global economy and address concerns about climate change — among many other things.

Participants began gathering Monday, but the four-day talkfest starts in earnest today.

Sessions will take up issues as diverse as the future of fertilizers, the role of sports in society, the state of the covid-19 pandemic and much more. Nearly 600 chief executive officers and more than 50 heads of state or government are expected.

Back in winter snow for the first time since the pandemic and just eight months after a springtime 2022 session, the event will host notables like European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, and the new presidents of South Korea, Colombia and the Philippines.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He addresses the gathering today, a day before his first meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in Zurich. Yellen will skip Davos.

Missing the event are U.S. President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian envoys have been shunned because of the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska was on her way to Davos and will speak today, while her…