Zelenskyy and Trump to meet in Davos on Ukraine security

Tuesday 13 January 2026 - 16:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Zelenskyy and Trump to meet in Davos on Ukraine security

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to meet next week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where G7 leaders aim to secure Trump's personal backing for security guarantees to shield Ukraine following a potential ceasefire with Russia. Scheduled for Wednesday during the January 19-23 forum, the gathering would rank among Davos's most significant diplomatic events. Leaders from Italy, Germany, France, Canada, and the United Kingdom, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, plan to attend, potentially marking unprecedented G7 participation at the Swiss mountain resort.

Zelenskyy announced on January 12 that he instructed his negotiation team to finalize a document on U.S. security guarantees and submit it for top-level review. "This must be a document of historic importance, and the text has now reached that level," he stated in an X post. The Ukrainian president outlined a two-week diplomatic timeline involving meetings, final document preparations, and possible signatures. A White House official told the Kyiv Independent that Trump's team has made "substantial progress" toward ending the war, with the administration believing it stands "closer to the goal than ever."

Trump's chief Russia negotiator, Steve Witkoff, said after last week's Paris summit that security protocols are "largely finalized" and "as ironclad as they've ever been." "The president doesn't back down from his commitments. He strongly supports the country that is Ukraine and a peace deal," Witkoff affirmed. Despite optimism around the talks, European capitals remain wary of Trump's personal commitment to Ukraine post any peace agreement. "Without the United States, none of this happens," a European official involved in negotiations told the Financial Times, particularly regarding pledges from the United Kingdom and France to deploy troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire. "We really don't know what Trump feels."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had not initially planned to attend Davos but aides indicated he would reconsider if Trump called an Ukraine-focused meeting. The leaders' encounter seeks Trump's approval for deals hashed out in recent Paris talks, covering troop deployments and a U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism. The summit could also witness the signing of a landmark economic pact worth up to $800 billion over ten years for Ukraine's postwar reconstruction, according to The Telegraph. Zelenskyy originally eyed Washington for signatures, but European allies suggested Davos as a more suitable venue.