Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22, 2026. LAURENT GILLIERON/AP
After Davos and Moscow comes Abu Dhabi. On Friday, January 23, in the United Arab Emirates, talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine are set to enter a new phase: Trilateral meetings bringing together Russians and Ukrainians with American negotiators. Europe was not invited. Moscow announced this overnight from Thursday to Friday, after nearly four hours of talks at the Kremlin between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Washington's emissaries: Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's special envoy, Jared Kushner, the US president's son-in-law, and Josh Gruenbaum, recently appointed as adviser to the Board of Peace, an initiative launched by Trump with much fanfare the previous day on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
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At Davos, Trump revives 'Middle East Riviera' fantasies in Gaza
"The war must end," Trump said after meeting Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday in Davos. The Ukrainian president announced that a "preliminary agreement" was "ready" regarding US participation in security guarantees under discussion, intended to deter Russia from launching new offensives after a potential cease-fire. However, he added, the territorial issue was "not yet resolved."
