Trump proposes a meeting with Putin and promises to stop the war in Ukraine

In Davos, the US president raises the idea of a peace agreement. Zelensky calls for guarantees for Ukraine’s security, but the Kremlin remains cautious

Donald Trump, speaking in a video conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, expressed his willingness to end the conflict in Ukraine and declared himself ready to meet Vladimir Putin. ‘I would like to meet Putin soon,’ he said, adding that “Ukraine is also ready for an agreement”.

Reactions from Moscow

From the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia’s readiness for ‘equal and respectful’ dialogue, evoking the relationship established during the first Trump presidency. However, he pointed out that there is a lack of concrete signals for talks between the two leaders.

Trump also announced his intention to put pressure on Moscow through new sanctions and tariffs in an attempt to speed up the peace process. But Peskov played down the effectiveness of this strategy: ‘Trump was the US president who used sanctions most often during his first term. We don’t see any particular innovation’.

Ukraine’s position and Zelensky’s demands

Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with Bloomberg during the Davos Forum, welcomed the idea of negotiations, but only on the condition of strong and irreversible security guarantees for Ukraine. These, according to Zelensky, need not include NATO membership, a step that has found opposition not only from Russia but also from the Biden administration and Germany.

As an alternative, Zelensky proposed the possible deployment of a US-led international peacekeeping force. This option, however, was immediately rejected by the Russian Foreign Ministry. ‘Any NATO intervention in Ukraine would aggravate the conflict and could drive it out of control,’ warned spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

A possible World War II victory anniversary summit?

During his speech, Trump praised Russia’s historical role in World War II, stressing that the US should not forget the alliance that contributed to the victory against Nazi-fascism. The Kremlin welcomed these statements and Peskov even suggested that Trump might attend the 80th anniversary celebrations of the victory, which will be held in Russia in May.

Uncertain prospects

Despite the opening statements, the dialogue between the US and Russia still remains at an embryonic stage. Differences over sanctions, security guarantees for Ukraine and the role of NATO remain significant obstacles. For now, Trump’s proposal appears more like an announcement of intent than a concrete plan for peace.

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