President Donald Trump told the World Economic Forum in Davos that a negotiated end to the Russia-Ukraine war is “reasonably close,” and said he plans to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday in Switzerland. In parallel, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said he and Jared Kushner will travel to Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, after Russia invited them, and then proceed to the United Arab Emirates for additional working-group meetings. The reporting portrays diplomacy picking up speed even as fighting continues, with Politico noting ongoing Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during a severe winter in Kyiv.

Highlights:

• 20-point framework: Witkoff said the discussions build on Washington’s “20-point peace plan,” with negotiators now focused on “land deals” as the central unresolved issue.
• Territory signals: RT reported that a leaked version of Trump’s initial peace plan discussed Ukraine ceding territory and renouncing NATO aspirations, though details of any current draft were not spelled out in Trump’s Davos remarks.
• Broader Davos diplomacy: Politico reported Trump held Davos meetings Wednesday with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the leaders of Poland, Belgium and Egypt ahead of the Zelenskyy session.
• Process tone: RT said U.S. officials described prior rounds with Russian and Ukrainian counterparts as “constructive” and showing some progress, even without a breakthrough yet.
• Scheduling wrinkle: The Guardian live coverage cited a Zelenskyy adviser saying he was in Kyiv (not Davos) and that the meeting would not happen “today” as Trump had suggested earlier, indicating timing remained fluid.

I think I can say that we're reasonably close - Donald Trump

Perspectives:

• President Donald Trump (United States): Trump said Russia and Ukraine appear close enough to “come together and get a deal done,” while describing the needed trade-offs as a difficult balance. (RT)
• Steve Witkoff (US special envoy): Witkoff said he sees “great progress” recently, but described territorial issues as the main sticking point and emphasized that Russia’s invitation to meet Putin is a meaningful sign of engagement. (SCMP)
• Kremlin (Russia): Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the Witkoff-Kushner visit would occur within the next 24 hours, reinforcing that talks are formally scheduled. (RT)
• Ukraine-side adviser (as cited by The Guardian): A Zelenskyy adviser said he was in Kyiv and suggested the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting would not take place that day, pointing to uncertainty around timing and logistics. (The Guardian)
• Politico reporting on Kyiv conditions: Politico framed the diplomacy against a backdrop of continued Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy system and a very cold winter, intensifying concerns about resilience and air-defense needs. (Politico)

Sources:

• Ukraine peace deal ‘reasonably close’ – Trump - rt.com
• Trump says Ukraine war deal ‘reasonably close’, plans Zelenskyy meeting in Switzerland - firstpost.com
• Trump and Zelenskyy to meet Thursday at Davos - politico.com
• US envoy Witkoff to meet Putin in Moscow for pivotal peace talks Thursday - scmp.com
• Zelenskyy meeting with Trump expected to take place on Thursday – as it happened - theguardian.com
• Trump says meeting Ukraine’s Zelensky in Davos on Jan 22 - straitstimes.com