Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed solutions to Ukraine with US President Donald Trump’s envoys in marathon overnight talks, with the Kremlin insisting the territorial issue needs to be resolved to reach a peace deal.
The Kremlin meeting, which lasted past 3 a.m. on Friday, came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday sharply criticized his European allies for what he called a slow and fragmented response to Russia’s nearly four-year all-out invasion, which he said left Ukraine at the mercy of Putin as the United States continues to push for a peaceful solution.
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who attended Putin’s meeting with Trump envoys Steve Witkov and Jared Kushner, said “both sides reiterated that a long-term solution is impossible without resolving territorial issues,” referring to Moscow’s demand that Kiev withdraw its troops from eastern regions that Russia illegally annexed but never fully occupied.
Zelensky said after meeting Trump in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday that the future status of lands in eastern Ukraine currently occupied by Russia has not yet been resolved but that a peace proposal is “close to being ready.”
On a positive note, Ushakov told reporters that Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. officials agreed to hold talks on Friday on security issues related to the peace deal with the United Arab Emirates.
Ushakov noted that Trump’s envoys briefed Putin on Trump’s meeting with Zelensky, as well as their earlier discussions with Ukrainian and European officials. He described the Kremlin talks, which began just before midnight in Moscow and lasted nearly four hours, as “candid, constructive” and “productive.”
Witkoff and Kushner were joined by Josh Gruenbaum, director of the Federal Procurement Service, who serves as a senior adviser to Trump’s peace council, to which Russia has been invited to join. As Russia considers the invitation, Putin reiterated his offer to provide the committee with $1 billion from Russian assets frozen in the United States to help fund Gaza reconstruction.
Asked about Putin’s proposal to use Russia’s frozen assets to donate to the peace council, Trump said he thought that was fine. “It would be great if he used his money,” he said
Trump’s meeting with Zelensky
Zelensky met with Trump behind closed doors for about an hour at the World Economic Forum in Davos, calling the meeting “productive and meaningful.”
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington from Davos that his meeting with Zelensky went well, adding that both Putin and Zelensky wanted a deal and “everyone is making concessions” to try to end the war.
He said the sticking points in the talks were the same as those held over the past six or seven months, noting “borders” as a key issue. “The main obstacles are the same as last year,” he said.
Since the start of hostilities in 2014 and a full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia’s larger military has succeeded in occupying about 20% of Ukraine’s territory. But battlefield gains along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front have been costly for Moscow, whose economy is feeling the consequences of the war and international sanctions.
Ukraine is cash-strapped and, despite significantly improving its own weapons manufacturing, still needs Western weapons. The front lines were also undermanned. Ukraine’s defense minister reported last week that about 200,000 soldiers had deserted and about 2 million Ukrainians had evaded military service.
Zelensky slams European allies
Speaking at the World Economic Forum after meeting Trump, Zelensky listed a litany of grievances and criticisms of Europe.
European countries, which believe their future defense is at risk in the war on its eastern flank, have provided financial, military and humanitarian support to Kyiv, but not all members of the 27-nation EU are helping. Ukraine is also frustrated by political divisions within Europe over how to deal with Russia and the EU’s sometimes slow response.
“Europe looks lost,” Zelensky said in his speech, urging the continent to become a global force. He contrasted Europe’s response with Washington’s bold moves in Venezuela and Iran.
The former comedian mentioned 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 these words: Europe needs to know how to defend itself. A year has passed. Nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I have to say the same thing again,” Zelensky said.
He accused Europe of being slow to make key decisions, spending too little on defense, failing to stop Russia’s “shadow tanker fleet” that violates international sanctions, and being unwilling to use its frozen assets in Europe to fund Ukraine.
More talks in UAE
Zelensky said a two-day trilateral meeting involving the United States, Ukraine and Russia will take place in the United Arab Emirates on Friday.
“The Russians have to be prepared to compromise because, you know, everyone has to be prepared, not just Ukraine, and that’s important for us,” he said.
Kremlin aide Ushakov confirmed that a Russian delegation will attend Friday’s meeting in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi. He added that during the Kremlin meeting, the United States expressed hope that it would “open up prospects for progress on all issues related to ending the conflict and reaching a peaceful settlement.”
Ushakov said the Russian delegation will be led by Gen. Igor Kostyukov, head of the Military Intelligence Service. He added that Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev would hold separate talks with Vitkov on economic issues in Abu Dhabi.
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Hrabchuk reported from Kiev, Ukraine, and Manenkov reported from Davos, Switzerland. Josh Boak in Air Force One, Meg Kinnard in Houston and Ali Swenson in Washington contributed to this report.
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