Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Switzerland on Thursday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, signaling a potential breakthrough in nearly four years of conflict with Russia. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said that “a lot of progress” had been made in Ukraine peace talks, with negotiations reportedly down to one final issue.
Earlier in the week, Zelenskiy had indicated he would not attend Davos, preferring to remain in Kyiv to focus on an energy crisis caused by Russian airstrikes that left parts of the capital and other regions without power. He had said he would only travel if there was a tangible opportunity to sign an agreement addressing security guarantees and post-war reconstruction funding.
Davos Engagement
Trump announced on Wednesday that he would meet Zelenskiy, and the Ukrainian leader’s spokesperson confirmed the meeting was scheduled for 1 p.m. local time, followed by a speech at 2:30 p.m. Witkoff has been engaged in talks with Ukrainian officials in Davos in recent days, building on discussions held in Florida over the weekend.
Later on Thursday, Witkoff and fellow U.S. envoy Jared Kushner are scheduled to travel to Moscow for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the possible framework for ending the conflict, Europe’s deadliest since World War Two. The Kremlin said the Moscow talks would take place after 7 to 8 p.m. local time.
Implications
The arrival of Zelenskiy in Davos highlights the U.S.’s active role in mediating the conflict and underscores Trump’s push to broker a peace deal ahead of broader international engagement. Observers note that while optimism is being signaled, the final terms of any agreement will need to address both security guarantees for Ukraine and mechanisms for reconstruction, with negotiations now extending simultaneously to Moscow.
With information from Reuters.
