Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet President Donald Trump in Davos as U.S. envoys prepare for talks in Moscow aimed at ending Russia's war with Ukraine.
Zelenskyy plans to travel to Switzerland on Thursday to meet Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum while White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner head to Moscow for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as reported by Axios.
Trump confirmed the meeting with Zelenskyy after delivering remarks Wednesday in Davos, saying negotiations are nearing a critical point.
"I think Russia wants to make a deal, I think Ukraine wants to make a deal. I think I can say we are relatively close," Trump said on stage.
Trump warned both leaders that failure to reach an agreement would be indefensible, given the human toll of the war.
"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," Trump said. "That goes for both of them."
"So I don't want to insult anyone, but you've got to get this deal done. Too many people are dying. It's not worth it," he added.
Witkoff said he and Kushner will meet Putin on Thursday, a plan later confirmed by the Kremlin. The two envoys met earlier this week in Davos with Putin's investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, who described those talks as constructive.
The White House has been pressing a 20-point peace framework, and U.S. officials say they are close to agreement with Ukraine, though Russia has yet to formally accept the plan.
Trump acknowledged that negotiations have stalled at times due to resistance on both sides.
"Oftentimes, we'll have a deal with Russia, and President Zelenskyy will not do it," Trump said. "And then we'll have President Zelenskyy wants to make a deal, and Putin doesn't want to make the deal."
Trump described the conflict as a dangerous global flashpoint and suggested it could have escalated further without U.S. involvement.
"Without us, I think Putin would have gone all the way. I think that could have been a World War III," he said.
Calling the war "a bloodbath," Trump emphasized the urgency of an agreement, citing the deadly impact of modern warfare.
"It's a drone war," Trump said. "The drones are killing thousands of people a week. Thousands. We have to get it stopped."
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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