The Kremlin has reiterated its “very important condition” that Ukraine give up the Donbas region, ahead of the first three-way talks with the US since the war began.
The Abu Dhabi talks, which Volodymyr Zelensky hopes will prove to be a “step towards ending the war”, mark the first trilateral talks between the countries as continue searching for an elusive agreement on territory,
Talks set to focus on the status of the eastern Donbas region, Mr Zelensky told reporters on Friday morning, which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk region, partly - but not entirely - occupied by Russian forces.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "It is well known that Russia's position is that Ukraine and the Ukrainian armed forces should leave the territory of Donbas, they must be withdrawn from there. This is a very important condition.”
The talks come hours after marathon late-night talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's envoys, described as "frank” and “constructive" by the Kremlin, which concluded at around 4am in Moscow.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have said the talks will be attended by military intelligence officials. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to mediate.
Zelensky tears into Europe over Russia and Trump in scathing Davos speech
Finnish president dismantles the idea Russia is winning war in Ukraine: ‘Utter strategic failure’
Zelensky shakes Europe by the scruff and reminds world leaders just how little they have done
Abandon your foolish Greenland fantasies, Mr President, and remember Ukraine
Key Points
- Kremlin: Ukraine must leave Donbas, this is a 'very important condition'
- Zelensky hopes trilateral talks are 'step towards ending war'
- What to expect in first Ukraine-Russia-US talks today
- Putin holds four-hour late-night meeting with US envoys
- Trump says Putin and Zelensky want to make a deal to end the war
Analysis | Zelensky’s stinging rebuke over Europe’s failures in Ukraine left global leaders squirming
12:52 , Alex CroftA man fighting for the life of his country against an invader should be forgiven the passion and colour of his language when calling for help from his friends.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s stinging rhetoric was very much his own at Davos when he called Europe a “salad”.
“Dear friends, we should not degrade ourselves to secondary roles, not when we have a chance to be a great power together. We should not accept that Europe is just a salad of small and middle powers, seasoned with enemies of Europe,” the Ukrainian president thundered.
The World Economic Forum was silent at the rebuke. Global leaders, business titans, European bureaucrats, squirmed.
Our world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Zelensky shakes Europe by the scruff in emotional speech ringing with home truths
UK tracks Russian warship and oil tanker passing through English channel
12:33 , Alex CroftBritain's Royal Navy shadowed a Russian warship and oil tanker as they sailed through the English Channel in a two-day operation coordinated, it has said.
The navy said two patrol ships, supported by a Wildcat helicopter, were dispatched to intercept the Russian warship Boikiy and accompanying oil tanker MT General Skobelev as they headed north, before handing the monitoring over to a Nato ally.
The operation comes a day after Britain said it provided support to a French operation to board a sanctioned Russian oil tanker as it passed through the Straits of Gibraltar, in a bid to choke off the funds that fuel Russian's invasion of Ukraine.
Britain's navy routinely conducts shadowing missions to monitor any potential threats to national security, including to critical infrastructure such as undersea cables or pipelines.
Why Donetsk has been an unsolvable sticking points in peace talks
12:07 , Alex CroftThe two sides cannot agree on the future of the Donetsk region, one of two regions which comprise Donbas. Russian forces already control nearly all of Luhansk, the other region.
Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the roughly 20 per cent, or 5,000 square km (1,900 square miles) of Donetsk, which Russian forces have so far not managed to take on the battlefield in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance.
But Volodymyr Zelensky has said he sees no reason to gift Putin land which is Ukraine currently controls. Previous US-Russian proposals which included Ukraine ceding the land were rejected outright in Kyiv and the rest of Europe.
Donetsk is one of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow said in 2022 it was annexing after referendums rejected by Kyiv and Western nations as a sham.
Most countries recognise Donetsk as part of Ukraine. Putin says Donetsk is part of Russia's "historical lands".
Trump confronted: 'You've Failed To Bring Peace To Ukraine!'
11:49 , Alex CroftPoland sends hundreds of generators to Ukraine after fundraising campaign
11:30 , Alex CroftPoland is sending hundreds of generators to Ukraine, authorities and fundraisers said on Friday, as Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure leave citizens facing a bitter winter without heat or electricity.
Russia's onslaught on Ukraine's energy system has led to power and water outages in Kyiv that typically last three to four times longer than in previous winters. Temperatures in the capital at night have plunged as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius.
"Given the dire situation in Ukraine... prime minister Donald Tusk has ordered equipment to protect civilians from the effects of freezing temperatures," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
Members of the public in Poland have so far donated over 5.8 million zlotys ($1.62 million) to a fundraising campaign to buy generators for Kyiv.
"For us, it is a gesture of support - for them, a real chance to survive the winter," fundraisers said on their website.
The Interior Ministry said that 379 power generators and 18 heaters will be delivered to Ukraine from the Government Agency for Strategic Reserves, with another 447 power generators provided using European Union funds.
The Polish capital, Warsaw, is also donating 90 generators to Kyiv.
Who is Kostyukov, the admiral leading Russia's delegation?
11:09 , Alex CroftRussian Admiral Igor Kostyukov is set to head Moscow's team at trilateral security talks with the US and Ukraine on Friday in Abu Dhabi, as part of efforts to reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
What do we know about Kostyukov?
Kostyukov is the director of Russia's military intelligence organisation, known as the GRU. Born in 1961, he received a naval education and went on to serve as a military diplomat, which included a posting as a military attache to the Russian embassy in Greece in 2004.
After he was transferred to the GRU, Kostyukov participated in operations in Syria, according to the RBC newspaper. In 2018, he became acting head of the GRU upon the illness of his boss, Igor Korobov, and full-time head following Korobov's death. He was the GRU's first head with a naval background and became an admiral in 2019.
He was a member of a Russian delegation that met with Ukrainian counterparts in May 2025 in Istanbul, the first face-to-face talks between the warring sides in three years.
Ukraine orders 18 German air defence systems
10:50 , Alex CroftUkraine has ordered 18 IRIS-T air defence systems made by German missile maker Diehl Defence and aims to purchase more firing units in future, Diehl Defence CEO Helmut Rauch said on Friday.
Speaking at a Handelsblatt conference in Berlin, Rauch said nine IRIS-T firing units were being operated in Ukraine at the moment.
Diehl Defence is ramping up production of IRIS-T missiles to 2000 per year, he added.
Kremlin: Ukraine must leave Donbas, this is a 'very important condition'
10:35 , Alex CroftKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking ahead of the three-way security talks in Abu Dhabi, said that it is Moscow's well-known position that Ukrainian army should leave the entire territory of Donbas.
But Peskov declined to go into any further details of the talks.
"It is well known that Russia's position is that Ukraine and the Ukrainian armed forces should leave the territory of Donbas, they must be withdrawn from there. This is a very important condition," Peskov said.
Zelensky hopes trilateral talks are 'step towards ending war'
10:21 , Alex CroftWe can bring you more detail from Volodymyr Zelensky’s briefing to journalists on WhatsApp this morning.
Discussing the talks, he said it’s “a step - hopefully towards ending the war - but different things can happen”.
He also clarified that talks will focus on the status of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, according to the BBC.
"The Donbas issue is key. It will be discussed as will be the modality of how the three sides see it," he said.
Moscow claims seizure of village in Kharkiv region
10:11 , Alex CroftRussia's defence ministry said on Friday that its forces had taken control of the village of Symynivka in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, Russia's RIA state news agency reported.
The Independent could not independently confirm the battlefield report.
Zelensky dismisses Moscow proposal to use frozen assets to rebuild Russian territory
09:54 , Alex CroftWe’ve heard more from Volodymyr Zelensky, who discussed with reporters Russia’s proposal to use frozen Russian assets to help fund reconstruction in its own territory - in particular the Kursk region.
This is “nonsense”, the Ukrainian president said.
Speaking to reporters in a WhatsApp media chat, he added that Kyiv would "fight" to be able to use all frozen Russian assets to fund post-war recovery inside Ukraine.
Zelensky waiting on Trump to sign finalised security guarantees deal
09:32 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has been updating the media ahead of the first US-Russia-Ukraine trilateral meeting on Friday, and following his meeting with Donald Trump on Thursday.
On Trump and security guarantees: The Ukrainian president said he is ready to sign a deal on security guarantees, and that he is waiting only for his US counterpart, a date and a place. He also discussed with Mr Trump the provision of additional Pac-3 and anti-ballistic missiles for air defence - and that he hopes for a positive response.
The pair also discussed the question of a “free economic zone” in Ukraine to stimulate economic growth post-war. Mr Zelensky said it is important for Kyiv to understand the source of the financing for any package on post-war recovery.
On today’s trilateral meeting: Mr Zelensky said that the critical question of territory will be discussed during the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. The Ukrainian delegation, he said, will include military intelligence representatives.
He is expecting to talk with the Ukrainian team at about 3pm/4pm about what is to be discussed. It is unclear whether he meant in Ukrainian time (1/2pm GMT) or Abu Dhabi time ((11am/12pm GMT).
Mr Zelensky added that he will provide feedback to Kyiv’s European partners following the trilateral meeting.
Fire breaks out at oil depot after downed drone in Russia, says governor
09:19 , Maira ButtDebris from a downed drone sparked a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s Penza region, the regional governor said on Friday.
Air defence systems took down four drones in total but the fragments of one fell on the territory of Penza, according to Oleg Melnichenko, region’s governor.
Emergency services continue to work at the site and there are no reported injuries.
Trump whisperers, bullying and leaked texts: World leaders are still struggling to deal with the Rule of Don
09:00 , Maira Butt“We’re going to Davos - it’s going to be an interesting trip,” said Donald Trump, just before boarding a delayed Air Force One flight to the annual World Economic Forum.
Hours later the US president was tearing into his European and Nato allies in a characteristically combative speech to world leaders and CEOs in Switzerland.
He threatened France with tariffs over drug prices, said Denmark had fallen to Nazi Germany within six hours and that without the US, everyone in the room would “all be speaking German.... and a little Japanese perhaps”.
James C Reynolds reports:
Trump whisperers, bullies and leaked texts: World leaders struggle to deal with Don
What to expect in trilateral talks today
08:34 , Alex CroftAs announced by Volodymyr Zelensky following his speech in Davos on Thursday, a delegation from the US, Ukraine and Russia will hold their first trilateral talks since the Russian invasion in 2022.
On Friday morning, Mr Zelensky told reporters in a WhatsApp group that the question of territory will be discussed during the meeting, after Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff claimed that only one issue remained in the talks.
You may recall that a team from Moscow and Kyiv sat down for face-to-face talks last summer - it was Turkey that was mediating at the time.
It’s not clear which negotiators will attend the talks, but the Ukrainian president said on Thursday they will be held at the “technical level”. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said it will be a meeting of a “trilateral working group on security issues”.
Whether Russian peace envoy Kirill Dmitriev or Ukraine’s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov will be at the table is unknown, but we do expect that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner - who met Vladimir Putin in Moscow last night and confirmed the trilateral talks - will be at the talks.
Stay with our live blog as we bring you all the latest news and reaction, from what could be a significant day for the Russia-Ukraine peace process.
At least 1,940 apartment buildings without heating in Kyiv, says mayor
08:19 , Maira ButtA Russian air attack has left 1,940 apartment buildings in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv without heating, the city’s mayor said on Friday.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that the buildings were being reconnected for the second time after an earlier Russian attack on 9 January, in a post on the Telegram app.
Ukraine is facing its coldest winter in decades as attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure impacting heating and electricity.
Everything we know so far
08:00 , Shweta SharmaIf you are just joining us, here are the key developments from late Thursday night:
- Russian president Vladimir Putin held overnight talks with Donald Trump's envoys, as the Kremlin said any peace settlement in Ukraine would depend on resolving territorial issues.
- The meeting, which lasted nearly four hours and ran past 3am on Friday, was described by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov as “frank” and “constructive”.
- Ushakov said Moscow had reiterated that a long-term deal was impossible without agreement on territory, referring to Russia’s claims over eastern Ukraine.
- Trump’s envoys briefed Putin on Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos, where Zelensky said peace proposals were “nearly ready” but territorial issues remained unresolved.
- Russian, Ukrainian and US officials are set to hold the first trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi later on Friday.
- Ukraine’s energy minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine endured the most difficult day for its energy system since the blackout in November 2022, calling the situation “extremely serious”.
Zelensky tears into Europe over Russia and Trump in scathing Davos speech
07:30 , Shweta SharmaVolodymyr Zelensky has launched a scathing attack on European leaders over their support for Ukraine during an astonishing speech to world leaders at Davos.
Taking to the stage shortly after a meeting with Donald Trump, the Ukrainian president declared Kyiv was living in “Groundhog Day”, adding that Europe “loves to discuss the future but avoids taking action” against Russia.
He added: “Every forum like this one proves it. 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.”
The Ukrainian president did, however, indicate progress during his remarks at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, announcing that Kyiv, Moscow and the US will hold their first trilateral peace talks in the UAE on Friday.
Mr Trump described his meeting with Mr Zelensky as “very good” during brief comments after it concluded. Earlier in the day, the US president reiterated his previous claims that a peace deal in Ukraine was “close”.
Zelensky turns on Europe over Russia and Trump: you’re all talk and no action
Editorial: Abandon your foolish Greenland fantasies, Mr President, and remember Ukraine
07:00 , Tara CobhamNow deep into what might be called his anecdotage, Donald Trump couldn’t help himself in delivering his usual repertoire of supposedly entertaining and inspirational stories to a bemused captive audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Then just hours later, he performed a surprise U-turn and abandoned his latest tariff threat against Europe entirely, after reaching the “framework of a future deal” with Nato. One wonders if all the dramatics were worth it.
In any case, the president found time in his lengthy address to mention the war in Ukraine – a real and bloody conflict, in sharp contrast to the improbable one in Greenland. Specifically, the president made reference to the tens of thousands of soldiers who are still being slaughtered every week as Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” approaches the end of its fourth year.
Read more here:
Abandon your foolish Greenland fantasies, Mr President, and remember Ukraine
Ukraine, Russia and US to hold first trilateral meeting this week, says Zelensky
06:30 , Shweta SharmaVolodymyr Zelensky has revealed that delegations from the US, Russia and Ukraine will all meet in the United Arab Emirates this weekend.
It would be the first trilateral meeting between the three countries to end the ongoing war, he says. Previous talks between Moscow and Kyiv delegations last year were mediated by Turkey.
The meetings will take place on Friday and Saturday, Zelensky adds.
“I think this is good, on the technical level we will begin these trilateral meetings. Russians have to be ready for compromises, everybody has to be ready, not just Ukraine,” he says.
“We will see what the result will be.”
Watch: Trump says Zelensky and Putin are 'stupid' if peace deal not agreed
06:00 , Shweta SharmaTaiwan offers talks with Ukraine on sanctions evasion after missile parts claim
05:30 , Shweta SharmaTaiwan president Lai Ching-te on Friday offered to hold talks with Ukraine to step up efforts against sanctions evasion, after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky named the island as a source of illicit missile components used by Russia.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Taiwan – a global semiconductor powerhouse – has repeatedly tightened export controls to prevent high-tech goods from being used for military purposes and has joined wide-ranging Western-led sanctions against Moscow.
Speaking in Davos on Thursday, Zelensky said Russia would be unable to produce missiles without “critical components sourced from China, Europe, the United States and Taiwan”.
Responding in English on X, Lai said Taiwan had long worked with international partners to “staunchly support Ukraine through humanitarian aid and coordinated sanctions”.
“We welcome further exchanges of information with President @ZelenskyyUa to further clamp down on illegal third-country transshipment and concealed end use,” Lai said, posting a photograph of orchids in the blue and yellow colours of Ukraine’s flag.
Lai added that “young Taiwanese have sacrificed their lives to defend freedom in Ukraine”, referring to volunteer fighters who have died while fighting against Russia.
“We remain clear: any assistance to the aggressor or violations of international embargoes and export control regulations are unacceptable. We pray for peace to be restored to Ukraine soon,” he said.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei later on Friday, Lai said he welcomed any information from Zelensky on sanctions busting.
“We are willing to strengthen controls on goods routed through third countries while concealing their final destination, to prevent them from entering Russia and to protect Ukraine,” he added.
Ukraine says situation 'extremely serious' after attacks on energy system
05:15 , Shweta SharmaUkraine endured what officials described as its most punishing day for the energy system since the first year of Russia’s full-scale invasion on Thursday.
It comes as a deepening power crisis left large parts of the country without heat, electricity and water in sub-zero temperatures.
Energy minister Denys Shmyhal said the humanitarian emergency was the result of sustained and deliberate Russian strikes on critical energy infrastructure – a strategy Moscow has pursued every winter since 2022.
“Today in Ukraine was the most difficult day for the energy system since the blackout in November 2022,” Shmyhal wrote on Telegram.
He said the attacks had damaged power generation equipment and crippled distribution networks and transformers, forcing rolling emergency shutdowns.
The situation, he said, was “extremely serious”, with Kyiv, the surrounding Kyiv region and Dnipropetrovsk among the worst affected.
Kyiv’s energy system remains under severe strain following large-scale Russian strikes on 9 January and January 20, with president Volodymyr Zelensky declaring a state of emergency in the energy sector on 14 January, in the midst of the attacks.
Not all members of EU are helping Ukraine
05:00 , Tara CobhamEuropean countries, which see their own future defence at stake in Russia’s war in Ukraine on its eastern flank, have provided financial, military and humanitarian support for Kyiv, but not all members of the 27-nation European Union are helping.
Ukraine also has been frustrated by political disagreements within Europe over how to deal with Russia, as well as the bloc's at times slow-moving responses.
Russia's bigger army has managed to capture about 20 per cent of Ukraine since hostilities began in 2014 and its full-scale invasion of 2022.
But the battlefield gains along the roughly 600-mile front line have been costly for Moscow, and the Russian economy is feeling the consequences of the war and international sanctions.
Ukraine is short of money and, despite significantly boosting its own arms manufacturing, still needs Western weaponry. It is also short-handed on the front line. Its defence minister last week reported some 200,000 troop desertions and draft-dodging by about two million Ukrainians.
In pictures: Putin's late night meeting with US officials
04:45 , Shweta SharmaVladimir Putin pulled an all-nighter, sitting down with US envoys for a meeting that stretched on for nearly four hours.
The US delegation included US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who last met Putin in the Kremlin in early December and Josh Gruenbaum, newly appointed as a senior adviser to Trump’s Board of Peace, tasked with addressing global conflicts.
Watch: Witkoff says 'we’re closer to Ukraine peace deal than in years'
04:30 , Tara CobhamPutin says resolving territory dispute is the key issue
04:15 , Shweta SharmaKremlin aide Yuri Ushakov says Putin has underlined that Russia was "sincerely interested" in a diplomatic solution.
But he stressed that there was no hope of achieving long-term settlement without resolving the territorial issue according to the formula agreed upon in Anchorage.
He added: "Until this is achieved, Russia will continue to consistently pursue the objectives of the special military operation. This is especially true on the battlefield, where the Russian armed forces hold the strategic initiative."
Ukraine offers valuable wartime combat data to allies
04:00 , Tara CobhamUkraine is poised to establish a system enabling its allies to train their artificial intelligence models using Kyiv's invaluable combat data, meticulously gathered throughout the nearly four-year conflict with Russia.
This significant development was announced by the newly appointed Defence Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov.
Mr Fedorov, who recently transitioned from his role as digitalisation minister to spearhead reforms across Ukraine's vast defence ministry and armed forces, has described Kyiv's wartime data trove as a crucial "card" in its ongoing negotiations with other nations.
Read more here:
Putin holds four-hour late-night meeting with US envoys
03:30 , Shweta SharmaAhead of three-way security talks in Abu Dhabi, Vladimir Putin and three US envoys held a meeting that began shortly before midnight and lasted nearly four hours.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters the talks had been useful and extremely frank.
However, it ended without any breakthrough.
He said Russian Admiral Igor Kostyukov would head Moscow's team at the three-way security talks, and investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev would meet separately on economic issues with Steve Witkoff, the envoy of President Donald Trump.
But while outlining the next steps, Ushakov stopped short of hailing any major breakthrough.
"Most importantly, during these talks between our president and the Americans, it was reiterated that without resolving the territorial issue according to the formula agreed upon in Anchorage, there is no hope of achieving a long-term settlement," he said, referring to last year's Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.
Ushakov said Putin underlined that Russia was "sincerely interested" in a diplomatic solution.
He added, however: "Until this is achieved, Russia will continue to consistently pursue the objectives of the special military operation. This is especially true on the battlefield, where the Russian armed forces hold the strategic initiative."
Putin, Ushakov and Dmitriev took part in the talks on the Russian side.
On the US side, Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who last met Putin in the Kremlin in early December, were accompanied by Josh Gruenbaum, newly appointed by Trump as a senior adviser to his Board of Peace, which will seek to tackle world conflicts.
'Europe looks lost,' Zelensky says in scathing attack
03:00 , Tara CobhamUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised his European allies for what he portrayed as the continent's slow and inadequate response to Russia's invasion nearly four years ago and its continued international aggression.
Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Zelensky listed a litany of grievances and criticisms of Europe that he said have left Ukraine at the mercy of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid an ongoing US push for a peace settlement.
"Europe looks lost," Mr Zelenskyy said in his speech, urging the continent to become a global force. He contrasted Europe's response with Washington's bold steps in Venezuela and Iran.
The former comic actor referred to the movie Groundhog Day, in which the main character must relive the same day over and over again.
"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. We are still in a situation where I must say the same words again," Mr Zelensky said.
He said that Ukrainians too seem caught in that reality in the war, "repeating the same thing for weeks, months and, of course, for years. And yet that is exactly how we live now. It's our life."
Watch: Trump says Zelensky and Putin are 'stupid' if peace deal not agreed
02:00 , Tara CobhamFinnish president dismantles the idea Russia is winning war in Ukraine: ‘Utter strategic failure’
01:00 , Tara CobhamFinnish president Alexander Stubb has branded Russia’s war in Ukraine a “complete strategic failure for Vladimir Putin” in a scathing attack on the Russian leader.
Speaking at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Stubb said Putin’s war in Ukraine has only served to strengthen European integration, unity and defence investment.
“This war has become a complete strategic failure for Vladimir Putin,” Mr Stubb said. “He expanded Nato, he made Ukraine European, and he forced European states to increase their defence budgets. And now we are asking ourselves whether we are capable of defending ourselves. My answer is yes.”
Alex Croft reports:
-meeting-in-Davos-rgypu46z.jpeg?trim=0,0,0,0&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800)
Finnish president dismisses idea Russia is winning in Ukraine: ‘Strategic failure’
One major issue still to be resolved in peace talks, Witkoff says
00:00 , Tara CobhamThe Trump administration is pushing for a peace settlement, with its envoys shuttling between Kyiv and Moscow. Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow late on Thursday and sat down for more talks with Mr Putin, the Kremlin said.
One major issue remains to be resolved in negotiations, Mr Witkoff said at Davos, without saying what it was. Mr Zelensky said the future status of Ukrainian land currently occupied by Russia is unresolved but that peace proposals are "nearly ready".
Post-war security guarantees, should a deal be reached, are agreed between the US and Ukraine, although they would require each country's ratification, he said.
Mr Zelensky said there would be two days of trilateral meetings involving the US, Ukraine and Russia due to begin in the United Arab Emirates on Friday.
"Russians have to be ready for compromises because, you know, everybody has to be ready, not only Ukraine, and this is important for us," he said
Trump claims Putin will 'make concessions' and says Ukraine war 'doesn't affect us very much'
Thursday 22 January 2026 23:50 , Josh MarcusPresident Trump on Thursday gave a window into his ongoing thinking about efforts to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, the president claimed Vladimir Putin will “make concessions” to speed along the peace process, which will unfold at a trilateral meeting involving the U.S. in the United Arab Emirates this weekend and Trump official Steve Witkoff meeting with the Russian leader in Moscow.
“He'll make concessions,” Trump said of Putin. “Everybody's making concessions to get it done. Europe is going to be a part of it...Look, it's more for Europe than for me.”
The president added that he wants to stop the loss of innocent lives but doesn’t think the war in Ukraine impacts the U.S. very much.
“It doesn't affect us very much, other than the loss of lives, we're not affected by this,” Trump said. “It's thousands of miles away. We're separated by an ocean. But I have an ability to get things done like this, and we'll see if I can get it done.”
The Republican added that Putin may want all of Ukraine’s territory, but “he’s not gonna be going there unless we don’t make a deal.”
Trump says Putin and Zelensky want to make a deal to end the war
Thursday 22 January 2026 23:00 , Tara CobhamPresident Donald Trump said on Thursday that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have said they would like to make a deal to end the nearly four-year-old war.
Earlier in the day, Trump met Zelensky on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
Russian forces 'hit two localities in southeast Ukraine, killing one'
Thursday 22 January 2026 22:56 , Tara CobhamRussian forces launched attacks on two localities in southeastern Ukraine on Thursday, killing one person and injuring more than 20, local officials said.
The governor of Zaporizhzhia region said in a Telegram post that Russian forces launched four strikes on the town of Komyshuvakha, killing one person and injuring 10. Several private homes were damaged in the attack on the town, east of the region's main city, also called Zaporizhzhia.
In the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's home town in Dnipropetrovsk region, a combined drone and missile attack injured 13 people, including four children, Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city's military administration, said on Telegram.
The attacks hit apartment buildings, schools and critical infrastructure.
"The main thing is everyone is alive," Vilkul wrote. "Six people are in hospital, including three children."
It could not be independently confirmed the attacks had taken place and Russian officials made no comment.
Russian strategic bombers conduct patrol over Baltic Sea, defence ministry says
Thursday 22 January 2026 22:10 , Tara CobhamRussian Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bomber planes carried out a scheduled patrol over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, the defence ministry reported via its Telegram channel.
The bombers were accompanied by Sukhoi Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets, the ministry said.
Russia regularly conducts such patrols as a show of strength. The announcement was made minutes after president Vladimir Putin began a meeting with three US envoys in the Kremlin to discuss proposals for ending the war in Ukraine.
Zelensky chides Europe for failing to stop Russia's 'shadow fleet' of oil tankers
Thursday 22 January 2026 21:50 , Tara CobhamUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has chided Europe for being slow to act on key decisions, spending too little on defence, failing to stop Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers that are breaking international sanctions, and balking at using its frozen assets in Europe to finance Ukraine, among other things.
Europe, he said, "still feels more like a geography, history, a tradition, not a real political force, not a great power."
"Some Europeans are really strong, it's true, but many say we must stand strong, and they always want someone else to tell them how long they need to stand strong, preferably until the next election," he said.
The Trump administration is pushing for a peace settlement, with its envoys shuttling between Kyiv and Moscow in a flurry of negotiations that some worry could force Ukraine into an unfavorable deal.
Watch: Zelensky says ‘we are living in Groundhog Day’ in scathing attack on world leaders over lack of support
Thursday 22 January 2026 21:30 , Tara CobhamPutin meets Witkoff and Kushner for late-night talks on Ukraine, Kremlin says
Thursday 22 January 2026 21:10 , Tara CobhamRussian President Vladimir Putin began a meeting with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner late on Thursday to discuss a plan to end the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
Putin was meeting the two Americans shortly before midnight in Moscow after US President Donald Trump said a deal was "reasonably close" and Witkoff said negotiations had come down to one last issue.
Zelensky says Ukraine clinched accords on new air defence package in Davos
Thursday 22 January 2026 20:50 , Tara CobhamPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Ukraine had clinched agreements on a new air defence package during meetings at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
"We are returning home with agreements on a new package of critically needed air defence for the protectionof our people," Zelensky wrote in English on the X social media platform.
Ukrainian negotiators heading to UAE for talks with Russia and US, Zelensky says
Thursday 22 January 2026 20:35 , Tara CobhamUkrainian negotiators are en route to the United Arab Emirates for talks with Russian and US negotiating teams, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.
"Our team is now heading to the Emirates for meetings with both the American and Russian sides," Zelensky wrote on Telegram after a day of talks at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "We are waiting to see how it goes and will decide on the next steps."
Zelensky had earlier said that negotiators from the three sides would hold meetings in Abu Dhabi on Friday and Saturday.
Ukraine's energy system has most difficult day since late 2022, minister says
Thursday 22 January 2026 20:18 , Tara CobhamUkraine's energy system on Thursday endured its most difficult day since a widespread blackout hit the network in November 2022 and the situation remains "extremely difficult," energy minister Denys Shmyhal said.
Shmyhal, who is also first deputy prime minister, said the difficulties were caused by a series of factors – constant shelling as well as damage to generating equipment and transformers. Conditions were most difficult in Kyiv and the surrounding region and in southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region. "Today in Ukraine was the most difficult day for the power system since the blackout of November 2022," he wrote. "The situation is extremely difficult."
Full story: French navy intercepts Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker in the Mediterranean
Thursday 22 January 2026 20:00 , Tara CobhamThe French navy has intercepted one of Russia’s sanctioned “shadow fleet” oil tankers in the Mediterranean with help from Britain.
Emmanuel Macron revealed that French forces had boarded a vessel this morning with allied support. The ship was subject to international sanctions and suspected of operating under a false flag, he said.
“We are determined to uphold international law and to ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions,” the French president wrote on social media. “The activities of the ‘shadow fleet’ contribute to financing the war of aggression against Ukraine.”
James C. Reynolds reports:
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French navy intercepts Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker in the Mediterranean
US envoys Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Moscow for talks with Putin on Ukraine, flight tracking site says
Thursday 22 January 2026 19:45 , Tara CobhamUS envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Thursday evening for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a peace deal for Ukraine, according to a track of their plane on air traffic site Flightradar24.
The two Americans flew in from Switzerland, where they met Ukrainian officials this week and President Donald Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Davos on Thursday.
Starmer and Frederiksen discuss next steps for Coalition of the Willing
Thursday 22 January 2026 19:28 , Tara CobhamBritish prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen discussed next steps for the Coalition of the Willing during a meeting at Chequers this afternoon.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The prime minister hosted the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, at Chequers this afternoon.
"The leaders began by reflecting on recent developments. They agreed that security in the Arctic was a matter for the entire Nato alliance, and Europe and Nato would continue to drive forward progress.
"The leaders also discussed how the UK and Denmark could deepen broader security cooperation, both bilaterally and across Europe, including through increasing interoperability between militaries.
"On Ukraine, the prime minister condemned Russia's vicious attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and the leaders discussed next steps for the Coalition of the Willing.”
Keep focus on Ukraine, EU's top diplomat urges
Thursday 22 January 2026 19:10 , Tara CobhamThe EU’s top diplomat has urged world powers to keep focus on Ukraine.
Kaja Kallas said: “It’s important to focus back on where the problems are, like Ukraine.”
Starmer says he has concerns about Putin being on Board of Peace
Thursday 22 January 2026 18:51 , Tara CobhamBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday he "obviously" had concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin being on US President Donald Trump's proposed "Board of Peace."
Trump said on Wednesday that Putin had accepted his invitation to join the initiative but the Russian leader said the invitation was only under consideration.
"I obviously have concerns about Putin being on a Board of Peace," Starmer said in an interview with Channel 4 News. "He is waging war on a European country. They're raining down bombs on Ukraine."
"We mustn't let the events of the last week or so deflect from the focus. We need to work with the Americans. It's going to be allies and others to defend and support Ukraine in a conflict which is not of their making."
Full story: Zelensky tears into Europe over Russia and Trump in scathing Davos speech
Thursday 22 January 2026 18:30 , Tara CobhamVolodymyr Zelensky has launched a scathing attack on European leaders over their support for Ukraine during an astonishing speech to world leaders at Davos.
Taking to the stage shortly after a meeting with Donald Trump, the Ukrainian president declared Kyiv was living in “Groundhog Day”, adding that Europe “loves to discuss the future but avoids taking action” against Russia.
He added: “Every forum like this one proves it. 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.”
Alex Croft reports:
Zelensky turns on Europe over Russia and Trump: you’re all talk and no action
UK supported French operation to board Russian tanker near Gibraltar, Healey says
Thursday 22 January 2026 18:08 , Tara CobhamBritish defence minister John Healey said on Thursday Britain had provided tracking and monitoring support for a French operation to board a Russian tanker.
Healey added that this support included a vessel, HMS Dagger, monitoring the tanker as it passed through the Straits of Gibraltar.
US will follow up on Ukraine security guarantees if they are agreed, Dutch PM says
Thursday 22 January 2026 18:00 , Tara CobhamDutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on Thursday he was convinced the United States would follow up on security guarantees for Ukraine if these were agreed in a possible peace deal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed security guarantees and a plan for post-war recovery during his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Davos earlier in the day.
EU should be united and protect relations with US, Polish PM says
Thursday 22 January 2026 17:45 , Tara CobhamPoland hopes European Union countries will act together on Greenland, US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" and Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said before an emergency summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday.
"For us, the United States is absolutely the most important partner when it comes to our security," he said, adding that Europe needs to protect its relations with the US.
