Overview
- In a Reuters interview, President Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin is ready to make a deal and named Volodymyr Zelenskiy as the reason U.S.-led talks have not concluded.
- The Kremlin publicly agreed with Trump’s assessment and said Russia remains open to talks, while reiterating long-standing demands and opposition to foreign military presence in Ukraine.
- Zelenskiy rejected the claim that Ukraine is an obstacle, citing ongoing Russian strikes as evidence Moscow is stalling, and announced a delegation is en route to the U.S. to work on security guarantees and a post-war recovery package.
- Kyiv hopes to finalize documents for possible signing on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos and is seeking clarity from Washington on Russia’s stance; Ukraine estimates reconstruction needs at roughly $800 billion.
- European pushback intensified, with Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk saying Russia rejected a U.S. peace plan as missile attacks continued, as reporting also notes Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine and presses demands over Donetsk.