The World Economic Forum in Davos has become a hub for urgent diplomacy: Zelenskyy met with President Trump while U.S. envoys held talks with Putin, and Russian, Ukrainian and American teams will meet in the UAE for trilateral negotiations. U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine are reportedly close to agreement in principle, but the fate of the Donbas remains the core unresolved issue. Separately, Trump says a framework to expand U.S. military access to Greenland is emerging; Denmark and NATO are engaged but details are scarce.
Davos Diplomacy: Zelenskyy Meets Trump, Trilateral Talks Set — Greenland Security Talks Stir Debate
Hello from the Swiss Alps. Reporting from Davos, where this year’s World Economic Forum feels markedly different to many longtime attendees: more than 60 heads of state are here alongside scores of business leaders, and high-stakes diplomacy is unfolding both on the main stage and behind closed doors.
Trilateral Push on Ukraine
Throughout the week, intensive diplomatic activity involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine has accelerated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Switzerland to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, while Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner flew to Moscow for separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meetings were timed to give negotiators a same-day snapshot of each side’s position.
In a significant development, Russian, Ukrainian and American negotiating teams will convene in the United Arab Emirates for trilateral talks tomorrow and Saturday. Having all three delegations in one place marks an important step toward finding common ground.
“This is the issue which we have not solved yet,”
Zelenskyy said, referring to the central sticking point: territory. Ukrainian and U.S. officials say security guarantees from the United States are largely agreed in principle, but they would still require formal approval by the U.S. Congress and the Ukrainian Parliament once active hostilities cease. The unresolved question is the status and control of the Donbas region and how any territorial arrangements could comply with Ukraine’s constitution, which limits unilateral cession of territory.
Greenland and Arctic Security
Also drawing attention at Davos: President Trump said he traveled to Switzerland aiming to secure a framework addressing U.S. security interests in the Arctic, particularly increased military access to Greenland. In an interview, he claimed a framework is in place that would provide broad U.S. access and said he would not pay for it. Specifics remain limited and further negotiation is expected.
The administration has reportedly stepped back from threatening tariffs on European allies, a move that has been welcomed across the Atlantic. Greenland’s government has welcomed progress but says it has not seen the details. "I don’t know what there is in the agreement, or the deal, about my country," Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens‑Frederik Nielsen said.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stressed Greenland will not be sold and framed the dialogue as part of a serious discussion about collective security in the Arctic. Danish officials have called for a permanent NATO presence in Greenland, and alliance drills are expected there later this year.
What To Watch
Tonight’s meetings in Moscow and the upcoming trilateral session in Abu Dhabi are pivotal. They will test whether the parties can resolve the remaining obstacles — most pressingly the territorial question — and whether broad security guarantees can be translated into ratifiable agreements.
Local Note
On a related note, we’ll be hosting the first event tied to the book Lessons From the Front during the U.K. launch week at The Frontlines Club in London on February 17. More details will be released soon.
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