US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held late-night talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow in what the Kremlin described as a ‘useful’ meeting on a US-drafted plan to end the war in Ukraine.
The discussions stretched into the early hours of Friday before the American delegation prepared to fly on to Abu Dhabi, where US, Ukrainian and Russian officials are due to hold further security talks later today.
Video released by the Kremlin showed a smiling Putin warmly shaking hands with Witkoff, Kushner and White House adviser Josh Gruenbaum during the high-stakes meeting in Moscow.
The Kremlin confirmed the talks had paved the way for the first session of a trilateral working group, with Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov saying the discussions had been ‘useful in every respect’.
A Russian delegation led by GRU intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov is also expected to travel to the UAE for the next round, Ushakov said, as diplomatic efforts to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II gather pace.
It comes ahead of a planned meeting between Russia, the US and Ukraine in the United Arab Emirates on Friday.
Zelensky, having earlier confirmed the trilateral meeting, said: ‘Right now, our team is heading to the Emirates for meetings with both the American and Russian sides. We’re waiting to see how it goes and will decide on the next steps.’
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow yesterday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid talk of a peace deal being ‘nearly, nearly ready’
The meeting came ahead of planned talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine in the United Arab Emirates on Friday
Zelensky and Trump said their meeting on Thursday regarding a peace deal was ‘good’
He said that meetings would take place on Friday and Sunday.
Today at Davos, he said he had a ‘very good’ meeting with Donald Trump, adding that a peace deal is nearly ready.
But Zelensky also criticised Europe for what he described as a lack of ‘political will’ to deal with Putin.
Speaking in Davos on Thursday, the Ukrainian president said discussions with Trump had been positive, adding: ‘We spoke about documents and about air defence.’
He added: ‘I think this is the last mile.’
The US President also commented on the talks, telling reporters the meeting was ‘good,’ but ‘we’ll see how it turns out’ adding: ‘This war has to end.’
During his address at the World Economic Forum, Zelensky told the audience: ‘We met with President Trump, and our teams are working almost every day. It’s not simple. The documents aimed at ending this war are nearly, nearly ready.
‘Ukraine is working with full honesty and determination and that brings results.’
A plane carrying U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner stands on the tarmac upon the arrival at Vnukovo International Airport before a scheduled meeting with a Russian delegation in Moscow, Russia, January 22, 2026
During his address, Zelensky told the audience: ‘We met with President Trump, and our teams are working almost every day’
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner (left-right), pictured in Davos earlier today
Accusing Europe of inaction over criminal investigations into Russia, Zelensky said: ‘It’s true many meetings have taken place, but still Europe hasn’t reached even the point of having a home for the tribunal, with stuff and actual work happening inside.
‘What’s missing? Time or political will? Too often in Europe, something else is always more urgent than justice.’
He told the crowd in Davos: ‘Why can President Trump stop tankers from the shadow fleet and seize oil, when Europe doesn’t? If Putin has no money, there is no war for Europe.’
‘Russian oil is being transported right along European shores. That oil funds the war against Ukraine, that oil helps destabilise Europe.
‘If Europe has money, then it can protect its people. Right now, those tankers are making money for Putin and that means Russia continues to push its sick agenda.’
Zelensky said Europe needs a united armed forces to ‘truly defend’ it ‘today’.
‘Just last year here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words, ‘Europe needs to know how to defend itself’. A year has passed and nothing has changed,’ he said.
‘We are still in a situation where I must say the same words.’
Zelensky said Europe needs a united armed forces to ‘truly defend’ it ‘today’
A residential building damaged by a Russian strike in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on Thursday
Continuing the searing criticism of his European allies, Zelensky said Europe looked ‘fragmented’ and ‘lost trying to convince the US president to change‘.
He continued: ‘But he will not change. President Trump loves who he is, and he says he loves Europe, but he will not listen to this kind of Europe.‘
Calling for a different in mindset, Zelensky said: ‘Instead of becoming a truly global power, Europe remains a beautiful but fragmented kaleidoscope of small and middle powers.
‘When united we are truly invincible and Europe can and must be a global force, not one that reacts late, but one that defines the future.’
He said Europe was yet to form a ‘united position’ on Donald Trump’s Board of Peace and Greenland as examples of how it looks ‘lost’ while facing challenges from the US.
Zelensky added that Ukraine needs security guarantees from the US to prevent Russia from invading again.
While some European countries have committed to sending peacekeeping troops, the only way to stop Putin will be if the US is involved, he claimed.
Zelensky has repeatedly hammered home the claim that Ukraine needs concrete security guarantees before any can be made on issues including control of territory.
So far, the UK and France have committed to sending some troops to Ukraine in ‘military hubs’ in the event of a ceasefire.
Zelensky said that Ukraine needs security guarantees from the US to prevent Russia from invading again
But Zelensky said: ‘The UK and France are ready to actually commit their forces on the ground… But the backstop of President Trump is needed.
‘And again, no security guarantees work without the US,’ Zelensky said in his address.
Trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and US will start on Friday in the UAE, according to the Ukrainian leader.
He suggested the idea was put forward by Washington during his speech on Thursday.
Zelensky said: ‘I hope that the Emirates know about it. Yes. Sometimes we have such surprises from our American side.’
Witkoff himself has described the main sticking point between Russia and Ukraine, that of land ownership, as ‘solvable.’
Zelensky himself confirmed that many of issues in negotiations are ‘all about the land’ in eastern Ukraine, where Putin’s forces have been steadily increasing their foothold.
