Representatives of Russia and the United States held talks in Davos

The US President flew to the World Economic Forum on his second attempt

In Davos, where the World Economic Forum (WEF) is taking place with the participation of dozens of heads of state and government, negotiations took place between Kirill Dmitriev , the Kremlin’s special envoy, and US President Donald Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner .

The meeting was previously reported by agencies and later confirmed by Russian official sources. According to TASS, the negotiations lasted about two hours. The parties have not yet disclosed any details about the agenda and results of the meeting.

Dmitriev about the meeting: “very positive” and “constructive”

Dmitriev told reporters that “the meetings are being constructive,” and also noted that “more and more people are realizing the correctness of the Russian position.” He did not specify whether this applies to US representatives.

Witkoff, in turn, described the negotiations as “very positive” - a video with his comment was distributed by Dmitriev himself. It is also known that Dmitriev, Witkoff and Kushner visited the US pavilion at the forum site together.

It was previously reported that contacts in Davos may be related to further discussion of US initiatives to achieve peace in Ukraine, but there has been no official confirmation that the parties have begun discussing the specific parameters of a possible agreement.

Ukrainian direction and unresolved differences

Last weekend, Witkoff and Kushner held talks with the Ukrainian delegation. Kyiv then stated that Ukrainian representatives had arrived for “an important conversation regarding the details of the peace agreement,” and consultations were planned to continue at the World Economic Forum.

Previously, the United States, Ukraine and the countries of the so-called “coalition of the willing” agreed on a framework document on security guarantees for Ukraine after the end of hostilities, but, as the parties admit, there remains a significant number of unresolved details.

Moscow, in turn, has repeatedly stated that it does not agree to the deployment of military contingents from European countries in Ukraine, and also insists on the fulfillment of other conditions that it considers fundamental. This primarily includes the issue of territories that Russia claims to annex, including recognition of Moscow’s jurisdiction over Crimea annexed in 2014.

On Tuesday in Davos, representative of the Ukrainian side Kirill Budanov , speaking at a panel discussion on Ukraine, said: “We are moving forward. I cannot say that tomorrow we will definitely have peace - if anyone promises this, it is not true. But we are working hard to get there."

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky canceled a visit to Davos amid a crisis in the Ukrainian energy sector caused by Russian attacks on infrastructure.

Ukraine is not at the center of the forum’s agenda

Dmitriev also said that events in Ukraine did not become the main topic of the World Economic Forum in 2026. “The attempt to make Ukraine the main topic of Davos failed,” he wrote in his Telegram channel.

According to Western media, initially the conflict in Ukraine was considered one of the key issues of the forum, but European leaders, preparing for contacts with US President Donald Trump, shifted their emphasis to other topics of international security and geopolitics. One of the reasons was Trump’s statements about his desire to take Greenland under control of the United States.

Trump's plane returned to base due to a malfunction: the president will arrive to Davos late

The plane carrying Donald Trump to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum was forced to return to Andrews Air Force Base shortly after takeoff. The cause was a “minor electrical problem.” According to White House press secretary Caroline Levitt, the decision to return was made “out of an abundance of caution” because several lighting fixtures on board were not working.

After landing at Andrews Air Force Base, the President transferred to an alternate plane and continued on to Switzerland. According to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trump will arrive in Davos about three hours late.

Trump has previously repeatedly criticized the condition of the Boeing 747, which has been used as a presidential aircraft since the early 1990s. Boeing received an order for two new aircraft several years ago, but their delivery is expected after the end of Trump's presidential term. Last spring, the US administration accepted a Boeing 747-8 as a gift from the Qatari government, but its modification to the requirements of the presidential aircraft may take considerable time.

Before departure, Trump said he did not have a clear idea of ​​how the forum's agenda would develop, but expected the trip "to be interesting."

The World Economic Forum takes place in Davos from 19 to 23 January under the motto “Spirit of Dialogue”. It is attended by more than 60 heads of state and government, dozens of ministers of economy and finance, as well as hundreds of representatives of big business. Russia has not been officially invited to the forum since 2022. Kirill Dmitriev is the only representative of Russia at the forum.

Photo: Entrance to World Economic Forum Davos 2026. Ma Xiuxiu/China News Service/VCG via Reuters Connect

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