US President Donald Trump said he held a “good” meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, calling for an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine after days of uncertainty over whether the talks would happen at all.
“This war has to end,” Trump told reporters, including AFP, when asked what message he would send to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said his special envoy would meet Putin in Moscow later.
The meeting between Zelensky and Trump in Davos came together only at the last moment, after days of public uncertainty that underscored how fragile the diplomatic moment remains.
Zelensky said the talks were productive, with the two leaders focusing on close coordination between their teams and finalizing key security and diplomatic documents.
“We had a good meeting with President Trump – productive and substantive,” Zelensky said, adding that teams from both sides remain in near-daily contact and that preparations had advanced.
Air defense dominated the discussion, Zelensky said, noting that earlier talks with Trump had already strengthened Ukraine’s ability to protect its skies.
“We spoke about air defense for Ukraine,” he said. “The previous meeting helped protect our sky, and I hope this one will make us even stronger.”
As recently as Tuesday, Zelensky openly questioned whether the encounter would take place at all, warning that a bilateral meeting would not happen “if partners are not ready,” even as Russian strikes continued to batter Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
By Wednesday, it was Trump who broke the suspense, telling participants at the World Economic Forum that he expected to see Zelensky later in the day.
“We’re reasonably close,” Trump said, adding that Russia and Ukraine were nearing a deal. If they failed to reach one, he said, “they’re stupid” – a remark directed at both Zelensky and Putin that sent a ripple through Davos as diplomats tried to gauge whether Trump was signaling real momentum or simple frustration.
Even as Trump and Zelensky prepared to meet in Switzerland, parallel negotiations were already unfolding. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and adviser Jared Kushner met Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, on the sidelines of the forum.
From Davos, Witkoff and Kushner traveled on to Moscow for talks with Putin, before heading to the United Arab Emirates to convene working groups. Putin later confirmed the meeting, saying frozen Russian assets based in the US – and their potential use in rebuilding war-damaged regions – were part of the discussions.
“This possibility is also under discussion with representatives of the US administration,” Putin told Russia’s Security Council, according to state media.
Witkoff, speaking Thursday after meeting Ukraine’s delegation in Davos, said talks aimed at ending the war were in their “final stage,” describing the negotiations as unusually intensive and detailed. He acknowledged early confusion in the process but said repeated engagement, including visits to Moscow, had been necessary.