Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Davos for a meeting with Donald Trump’, after the US president said a long-awaited peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is “reasonably close”.
The Ukrainian president will join world leaders in the Swiss Alps as geopolitical conflicts continue to take centre stage at the World Economic Forum 2026.
The meeting will take place at 1pm local time (12pm GMT), before Mr Zelensky gives a speech to delegates at the conference at 2:30pm (1:30pm GMT).
Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has said he is travelling to Moscow later today to meet the Russian president Vladimir Putin and discuss an end to the war in Ukraine.
“I think we’ve made a lot of progress,” Witkoff said, adding that negotiations were down to one last issue. "So if both sides want to solve this, we're going to get it solved," Witkoff told an audience in Davos.
Speaking at the WEF, Trump said he thought "we're reasonably close" to a deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“I believe they're at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done. And if they don't, they're stupid," he said, referring to the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. Delegations from the two countries have already held meetings this week.
No military force on Greenland but Trump’s biggest threat came in what he didn’t say at Davos
Abandon your foolish Greenland fantasies, Mr President, and remember Ukraine
Ukraine offers valuable wartime combat data to allies
Ukraine endures a bitter winter after Russian attacks as peace efforts overshadowed
Key Points
- Zelensky arrives in Davos for Trump meeting at 12pm GMT
- Trump says 'we're reasonably close to a deal to end the war'
- Zelensky to give Davos speech at 1:30pm GMT
- Watch: Trump says Zelensky and Putin are 'stupid' if peace deal not agreed
- Putin says he will meet US envoys Witkoff and Kushner today
A year on... is Donald Trump any closer to ending the war in Ukraine?
09:25 , Alex CroftThe Independent’s senior foreign reporter James Reynolds reports:
Natia Seskuria, an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), tells The Independent that while Trump has escalated the diplomatic push to end the war, a lack of pressure on Putin means fundamental differences have gone unresolved.
“President Trump has moved rapidly to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, casting an end to the war as the signature achievement that would define his presidency and cement his reputation as a peacemaker. To that end, he has escalated the diplomatic track quickly, engaging in direct talks with President Putin and exerting heavy pressure on Kyiv to agree to his timelines and parameters for a deal,” she says.
“Yet despite this pace, the parties are not anywhere closer to a substantive peace agreement, largely because Moscow has refused to offer meaningful concessions or dilute maximalist territorial demands that remain fundamentally unacceptable to Ukraine.
She adds: “Negotiators have made progress on the architecture of security guarantees for Ukraine, but the core obstacles, above all Russia’s insistence on recognition of its claims over the Donbas region and beyond, remain unresolved and are explicitly described by Kyiv as the ‘most difficult point’ in the talks.
“So far, the Trump administration has concentrated its leverage on pushing Kyiv to show flexibility, while applying little to no sustained pressure on Moscow to soften its position, which leaves the overall dynamics of the peace process essentially unchanged despite the flurry of high‑level diplomacy.”
Zelensky to give Davos speech at 1:30pm GMT
09:09 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky is due to give a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos at 1:30pm GMT (2:30pm local time).
His speech will come shortly after a meeting with Donald Trump at 12pm GMT, where the pair will continue peace talks which, according to the US president, have brought a deal “reasonably close”.
Kremlin declines to comment Witkoff claims that peace deal is'close'
09:03 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin has declined to comment on claims by Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff that a peace deal is “close”.
Mr Witkoff is currently in Moscow, alongside Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, for talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin later on Thursday.
"We would not like to comment on the current stage of the negotiations, especially in the lead-up to Witkoff's arrival in Moscow and his meeting with Putin,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
He added: "It's clear that the Russian president highly values the peacemaking efforts of President Trump personally and his team, including Special Envoy Witkoff... We welcome these efforts and their effectiveness."
Mr Witkoff told an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos that there has been “a lot of progress” in the peace talks, adding that talks were down to one last issue.
The Kremlin said it will provide a briefing after the meeting.
Zelensky arrives in Davos for 12pm Trump meeting
08:40 , Alex CroftUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has just arrived in Switzerland ahead of a meeting with Donald Trump at Davos, his spokesperson has said.
Kyiv and Washington are still looking to finalise an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
The US president has said parties are now “reasonably close” - but he has made such comments several times over the past few months, despite no clear indication that Russia and Ukraine are closer to a deal.
Putin says he will discuss Ukraine peace plan with US envoys
08:15 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin has said he will discuss a possible peace plan for Ukraine with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Moscow today.
Trump said yesterday that a deal to end the war was "reasonably close".
The United States has held talks with Russia, and separately with Kyiv and European leaders, on various different drafts of a plan for ending the war in Ukraine, but no deal has yet been reached despite Trump's repeated promises to clinch one.
Putin, speaking at a Russian Security Council meeting late last night, said that he would meet Trump special envoy Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow to "continue dialogue on the Ukrainian settlement" as well as Trump's "Board of Peace" idea.
At stake is how to end the deadliest war in Europe since the Second World War, the future of Ukraine, the extent to which European powers are sidelined and whether or not a peace deal brokered by the United States will endure.
Trump's envoy Witkoff says will travel to Moscow today for Ukraine talks
08:00 , Arpan RaiUS envoy Steve Witkoff has said he is travelling to Moscow later today to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine.
“I think we’ve made a lot of progress,” Witkoff said, adding that negotiations were down to one last issue.
"So if both sides want to solve this, we're going to get it solved," Witkoff told the audience in Davos.
He said that the creation of a tariff free zone in Ukraine would be "game changing" for the country's economy.
Ukraine should be main priority, not Greenland, says Nato chief
07:45 , Arpan RaiNato secretary general Mark Rutte has said the alliance should prioritise Ukraine and not Greenland as the US president builds cross-Atlantic pressure on the Danish territory.
Speaking at a panel session at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Rutte said: "On Greenland, we have to make sure that that issue gets solved in an amicable way. But the main issue is not Greenland. Now, the main issue is Ukraine."
Rutte said that he “worried that we might drop the ball focusing so much on these other issues."
“Focus on Ukraine should be our number one priority, and then we can discuss all the issues, including Greenland," Rutte said. "But it should be Ukraine first, because it is crucial for our European and US security,” he said, adding that public disputes can affect diplomatic process.
The Nato chief added that he was working "behind the scenes" to diffuse disagreements between the European Union and the US over Greenland, which Trump has claimed he wants to capture.
Top Ukrainian negotiator Umerov says he met Trump's envoys in Davos
07:35 , Arpan RaiTop Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said he met US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the Swiss resort of Davos.
Umerov said the meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum focused on security guarantees for Ukraine and a post-war recovery plan.
Umerov said a Ukrainian delegation had also met representatives of the US investment firm Blackrock, which is involved in rebuilding plans.
Putin denies Trump's claim he has accepted invite to join peace board
07:20 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump said Russian president Vladimir Putin has accepted his invitation to join Trump's Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts, a statement that Putin quickly countered, saying that the invitation was only under consideration.
“He was invited. He’s accepted,” Trump told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland after meeting with Nato chief Mark Rutte.
Shortly after, Putin said Russia's foreign ministry had been instructed to study Trump’s invitation to join his proposed Board of Peace and would reply in due course.
Putin said he saw the proposal mainly as part of efforts to deal with a Middle East peace settlement.
Even before any decision on joining the Board, Putin said Moscow was ready to provide $1bn - as required by Trump for long-term membership - "in view of Russia's special relations with the Palestinian people".
But he said this must be taken from the Russian assets frozen in Europe after his invasion of Ukraine.
Trump's peace envoy Witkoff says 'closer to Ukraine peace deal than in years'
07:15 , Arpan RaiTrump is committed to Ukraine, says Nato chief at Davos
07:15 , Arpan RaiThe United States remains committed to Ukraine, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
On being asked if US president Donald Trump showed commitment to Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty, Rutte said: “Yes! And I have never doubted this.”
"What we need is to keep our eyes on the ball of Ukraine. Let's not drop that ball,” he said.
Zelensky 'to meet Trump' in Davos after last-minute change of plans
07:05 , Arpan RaiUkraine's Volodymyr Zelensky appears set to travel to Switzerland to meet Donald Trump after all, having said earlier that he would be giving the World Economic Forum a miss.
Zelensky had said he "choose[s] Ukraine" and would stay home to help deal with the aftermath of repeated Russian airstrikes on Kyiv.
But on Wednesday Trump said he would be sitting down with Zelensky later the same day – even though the Ukrainian president wasn't in the same country.
US officials said he had misspoken; they say a meeting is indeed on the cards but that it will now take place on Thursday.
Around 3,000 apartment buildings in Kyiv still without heat
06:47 , Arpan RaiAround 3,000 apartment buildings were still without heating in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv following a Russian air attack this week, mayor Vitali Klitschko said this morning.
"As of this morning, just under 3,000 high-rise buildings in the capital remain without heating," he said on the Telegram messaging app.
Klitschko added that 270 buildings were re-connected to the supply overnight.
Putin says he will discuss Ukraine peace plan with US envoys
06:37 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin has said he will discuss a possible peace plan for Ukraine with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Moscow today.
Trump said yesterday that a deal to end the war was "reasonably close".
The United States has held talks with Russia, and separately with Kyiv and European leaders, on various different drafts of a plan for ending the war in Ukraine, but no deal has yet been reached despite Trump's repeated promises to clinch one.
Putin, speaking at a Russian Security Council meeting late last night, said that he would meet Trump special envoy Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow to "continue dialogue on the Ukrainian settlement" as well as Trump's "Board of Peace" idea.
At stake is how to end the deadliest war in Europe since the Second World War, the future of Ukraine, the extent to which European powers are sidelined and whether or not a peace deal brokered by the United States will endure.
Abandon your foolish Greenland fantasies, Mr President, and remember Ukraine
06:12 , Arpan RaiNow 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.
Abandon your foolish Greenland fantasies, Mr President, and remember Ukraine
Russian port terminal set ablaze in Ukrainian drone attack
05:55 , Arpan RaiA Ukrainian drone attack has sparked a fire at a port terminal in Russia’s Krasnodar region, a local task force said this morning.The fire has now been put out, they said.
The authorities said late on Wednesday that at least three people had been killed and eight injured as a result of the Ukrainian attack. The drones also hit four tanks containing oil products, setting them ablaze.
The Russian defence ministry said that air defence units had downed 31 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Ukraine should be main priority, not Greenland, says Nato chief
05:31 , Arpan RaiNato secretary general Mark Rutte has said the alliance should prioritise Ukraine and not Greenland as the US president builds cross-Atlantic pressure on the Danish territory.
Speaking at a panel session at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Rutte said: "On Greenland, we have to make sure that that issue gets solved in an amicable way. But the main issue is not Greenland. Now, the main issue is Ukraine."
Rutte said that he “worried that we might drop the ball focusing so much on these other issues."
“Focus on Ukraine should be our number one priority, and then we can discuss all the issues, including Greenland," Rutte said. "But it should be Ukraine first, because it is crucial for our European and US security,” he said, adding that public disputes can affect diplomatic process.
The Nato chief added that he was working "behind the scenes" to diffuse disagreements between the European Union and the US over Greenland, which Trump has claimed he wants to capture.
Trump says 'we're reasonably close to a deal to end the war'
05:06 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump on Wednesday said he thought "we're reasonably close" to a deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, adding he would meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky later in the day.
"I believe they're at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done. And if they don't, they're stupid," he said, referring to the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.
Watch: Putin says Russia ready to contribute $1bn to Trump's Board of Peace
04:42 , Arpan RaiTop Ukrainian negotiator Umerov says he met Trump's envoys in Davos
04:23 , Arpan RaiTop Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said he met US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the Swiss resort of Davos.
Umerov said the meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum focused on security guarantees for Ukraine and a post-war recovery plan.
Umerov said a Ukrainian delegation had also met representatives of the US investment firm Blackrock, which is involved in rebuilding plans.
Watch: Trump: Zelensky and Putin are 'stupid' if peace deal not agreed
04:00 , Bryony GoochPutin denies Trump's claim he has accepted invite to join peace board
03:56 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump said Russian president Vladimir Putin has accepted his invitation to join Trump's Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts, a statement that Putin quickly countered, saying that the invitation was only under consideration.
“He was invited. He’s accepted,” Trump told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland after meeting with Nato chief Mark Rutte.
Shortly after, Putin said Russia's foreign ministry had been instructed to study Trump’s invitation to join his proposed Board of Peace and would reply in due course.
Putin said he saw the proposal mainly as part of efforts to deal with a Middle East peace settlement.
Even before any decision on joining the Board, Putin said Moscow was ready to provide $1bn - as required by Trump for long-term membership - "in view of Russia's special relations with the Palestinian people".
But he said this must be taken from the Russian assets frozen in Europe after his invasion of Ukraine.
Uzbek man jailed for killing Russian chemical weapons chief on Ukraine's behest
03:36 , Arpan RaiAn Uzbek man was handed a life sentence after a military court in Moscow found him guilty of killing top Russian general Igor Kirillov and his assistant in a Ukraine-backed bomb attack in 2024.
Uzbek national Akhmadzhon Kurbonov and three accomplices were found guilty of various crimes related to the Kirillov killing, including terrorism and the illegal trafficking of explosives, Russian investigators said yesterday.
The three accomplices were given jail sentences in maximum security correctional prison camps ranging from 18 to 25 years, the Investigative Committee, which handles serious crimes, said in a statement.
The sentencing comes a month after Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who was chief of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, and his assistant, Ilya Polikarpov, were killed outside an apartment building in Moscow after a bomb hidden in an electric scooter was remotely detonated.
Ukraine's SBU intelligence service said it was behind the high-profile hit, one of a string of targeted killings it has organised inside Russia to punish people it deems responsible for Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Zelensky 'to meet Trump' in Davos after last-minute change of plans
03:24 , Arpan RaiUkraine's Volodymyr Zelensky appears set to travel to Switzerland to meet Donald Trump after all, having said earlier that he would be giving the World Economic Forum a miss.
Zelensky had said he "choose[s] Ukraine" and would stay home to help deal with the aftermath of repeated Russian airstrikes on Kyiv.
But on Wednesday Trump said he would be sitting down with Zelensky later the same day – even though the Ukrainian president wasn't in the same country.
US officials said he had misspoken; they say a meeting is indeed on the cards but that it will now take place on Thursday.
Putin says he will meet US envoys Witkoff and Kushner today
03:14 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin said he would meet on Thursday with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have been tasked with finding a solution to Russia's nearly four-year-old war with Ukraine.
Putin, quoted by Russian news agencies, said during a meeting of Russia's Security Council that he would discuss the possible use of frozen Russian assets with the US envoys in connection with recovery work in regions affected by the war.
"This possibility is also under discussion with representatives of the US administration," Russian news agencies quoted him as saying.
Recap: Trump says 'we're reasonably close to a deal to end the war'
02:00 , Bryony GoochUS president Donald Trump on Wednesday said he thought "we're reasonably close" to a deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, adding he would meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky later in the day.
"I believe they're at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done. And if they don't, they're stupid," he said, referring to the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.
How would Trump-Putin talks compare to other historic summits?
01:00 , Bryony Gooch
How would Trump-Putin talks compare to other historic summits?
Watch: Witkoff: 'We’re closer to Ukraine peace deal than in years'
00:00 , Bryony GoochIn pictures: Workers from Ukraine's largest energy provider DTEK carry out emergency repairs
Wednesday 21 January 2026 23:00 , Bryony Gooch.jpg)
Watch: Putin's war has been an utter strategic failure, says Finnish president
Wednesday 21 January 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsGermany arrests suspected Russian spy accused of gathering Ukraine drone intelligence
Wednesday 21 January 2026 21:00 , Bryony GoochGerman prosecutors on Wednesday arrested a German-Ukranian woman accused of spying for Russia by gathering information on drones meant for Ukraine at political events and through befriending former defence ministry staff, according to a statement.
Ilona W, whose surname was not shared due to German privacy laws, is accused of maintaining intelligence contacts with the Russian embassy in Berlin since at least November 2023.
Security services across Europe have warned of a growing threat from Russian intelligence agencies seeking to deter Western powers from backing Ukraine against Russia's full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.
Recap: Witkoff to discuss peace with Putin tomorrow
Wednesday 21 January 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said he planned to discuss peace efforts with Russian President Vladimir Putin and would meet with Ukrainians later, without giving a specific date.
"We plan to discuss peace, and Ukraine and Russia," Witkoff told reporters at Davos, adding that Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner would join the discussions on Thursday. "I'm hopeful... we need a peace."
Witkoff told CNBC that the Russian side had requested the meeting, adding: “I think that's a significant statement on their part.”
The Kremlin confirmed that Putin would meet Witkoff in Moscow on Thursday.
In pictures: Kyiv under black out conditions after Russian airstrike
Wednesday 21 January 2026 19:00 , Bryony Gooch
Trump to meet Zelensky on Thursday
Wednesday 21 January 2026 18:00 , Bryony GoochDonald Trump said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that he would meet Mr Zelensky on Thursday.
"I want to stop it," Mr Trump said of the fighting. "It's a horrible war."
US special envoy Steve Witkoff told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he plans to discuss peace proposals with Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as hold talks with a Ukrainian delegation.
"We need a peace," Mr Witkoff said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Recap: 60 per cent of Kyiv left without power amid one of the coldest winters in years
Wednesday 21 January 2026 17:00 , Bryony GoochSome 4,000 buildings in Kyiv remained without heating on Wednesday, and nearly 60 per cent of the Ukrainian capital was without power, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said, after days of Russian bombardment of Ukraine's power grid.
With temperatures falling as low as minus 20C in Kyiv, Ukraine is seeing one of the coldest winters in years, deepening the hardship of Ukrainians almost four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Watch: Putin's war has been an utter strategic failure, says Finnish president
Wednesday 21 January 2026 16:30 , James ReynoldsRecap: Witkoff to discuss peace with Putin tomorrow
Wednesday 21 January 2026 16:00 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said he planned to discuss peace efforts with Russian President Vladimir Putin and would meet with Ukrainians later, without giving a specific date.
"We plan to discuss peace, and Ukraine and Russia," Witkoff told reporters at Davos, adding that Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner would join the discussions on Thursday. "I'm hopeful... we need a peace."
Witkoff told CNBC that the Russian side had requested the meeting, adding: “I think that's a significant statement on their part.”
The Kremlin confirmed that Putin would meet Witkoff in Moscow on Thursday.
Watch: Trump: Zelensky and Putin are 'stupid' if peace deal not agreed
Wednesday 21 January 2026 15:45 , Bryony GoochRecap: Europe is ready to defend itself, says Finnish leader
Wednesday 21 January 2026 15:30 , James ReynoldsEuropean leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday for a discussion on whether Europe was ready to defend itself.
Mark Rutte, the secretary general of Nato, was cautious to stress the importance of the trans-Atlantic relationship and hailed Trump’s efforts to encourage greater defence spending in Europe.
Alex Stubb, the Finnish president, said that Europe “unequivocally” could defend itself against a Russian attack. Asked whether the alliance was fractured and on its way out, he said: “No, not at all.
“I think actually we’re in the process of creating a stronger Nato since we have seen since the end of the Cold War. This is pretty much Nato 3.0.”
He pointed to Nato’s borders growing with new allies, including Finland, while Russia has stagnated economically, failed to make major gains in Ukraine and decreased its sphere of influence.
“And here we are asking ourselves, shaking, are we able to defend ourselves? My answer is: yes we are."
Germany arrests two on suspicion of supporting pro-Russian groups
Wednesday 21 January 2026 15:01 , James ReynoldsGerman prosecutors say they have arrested a Russian and a German national on suspicion of supporting the foreign terrorist organisations "People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk."
They claim that the two suspects had organised deliveries of supplies, medical products and drones to pro-Russian militia groups in eastern Ukraine since 2016.
Ukraine anti-corruption body investigates former senior presidential aide
Wednesday 21 January 2026 14:30 , James ReynoldsUkraine's anti-corruption bureau says it is investigating an unnamed former senior official from the president's office and a former board member of state oil and gas major Naftogaz for involvement in an alleged green energy embezzlement scheme.
In a statement on social media, the bureau said the alleged scheme involved claiming green energy payments for facilities in territories occupied by Russia in 2022.
It said a total of nine suspects had been identified in the case.
Breaking: Trump to meet with Zelensky on Wednesday
Wednesday 21 January 2026 14:25 , Bryony GoochUS president Donald Trump has said he will meet with Volodymyr Zelensky today, despite the Ukrainian president pulling out of Davos.
Ukraine’s leader had initially said he would only travel to Switzerland if documents on security guarantees with the United States and a prosperity plan were ready to be signed there.
The decision to stay in Kyiv follows two nights worth of heavy bombardment in the capital which has left millions without power.
"Certainly, I chose Ukraine in this case, not the economic forum, but everything can change at any moment. Because it is very important for Ukrainians to end this war," Zelensky told reporters on Tuesday.
Watch: Zelensky says Russian attacks have left 1mn in Kyiv without power
Wednesday 21 January 2026 14:00 , James ReynoldsUkraine offers valuable wartime combat data to allies
Wednesday 21 January 2026 13:30 , James ReynoldsUkraine 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.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has amassed extensive battlefield intelligence, including systematically logged combat statistics and millions of hours of drone footage captured from above.
Such real-world information is critically important for the development and refinement of AI models.
Here’s why it matters:
In pictures: Ukrainian recruits train in bitter winter conditions
Wednesday 21 January 2026 13:00 , James Reynolds
Recap: Europe is ready to defend itself, says Finnish leader
Wednesday 21 January 2026 12:30 , James ReynoldsEuropean leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday for a discussion on whether Europe was ready to defend itself.
Mark Rutte, the secretary general of Nato, was cautious to stress the importance of the trans-Atlantic relationship and hailed Trump’s efforts to encourage greater defence spending in Europe.
Alex Stubb, the Finnish president, said that Europe “unequivocally” could defend itself against a Russian attack. Asked whether the alliance was fractured and on its way out, he said: “No, not at all.
“I think actually we’re in the process of creating a stronger Nato since we have seen since the end of the Cold War. This is pretty much Nato 3.0.”
He pointed to Nato’s borders growing with new allies, including Finland, while Russia has stagnated economically, failed to make major gains in Ukraine and decreased its sphere of influence.
“And here we are asking ourselves, shaking, are we able to defend ourselves? My answer is: yes we are."
A year on... is Donald Trump any closer to ending the war in Ukraine?
Wednesday 21 January 2026 12:00 , James ReynoldsNatia Seskuria, an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), tells The Independent that while Trump has escalated the diplomatic push to end the war, a lack of pressure on Putin means fundamental differences have gone unresolved.
“President Trump has moved rapidly to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, casting an end to the war as the signature achievement that would define his presidency and cement his reputation as a peacemaker. To that end, he has escalated the diplomatic track quickly, engaging in direct talks with President Putin and exerting heavy pressure on Kyiv to agree to his timelines and parameters for a deal,” she says.
“Yet despite this pace, the parties are not anywhere closer to a substantive peace agreement, largely because Moscow has refused to offer meaningful concessions or dilute maximalist territorial demands that remain fundamentally unacceptable to Ukraine.
She adds: “Negotiators have made progress on the architecture of security guarantees for Ukraine, but the core obstacles, above all Russia’s insistence on recognition of its claims over the Donbas region and beyond, remain unresolved and are explicitly described by Kyiv as the ‘most difficult point’ in the talks.
“So far, the Trump administration has concentrated its leverage on pushing Kyiv to show flexibility, while applying little to no sustained pressure on Moscow to soften its position, which leaves the overall dynamics of the peace process essentially unchanged despite the flurry of high‑level diplomacy.”
