Trump's envoy Witkoff satisfied with Davos talks with Ukrainians, notes progress and commends Zelenskyy
Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy, has said he is satisfied after a meeting with the Ukrainian delegation in Davos, adding that talks on ending the Russian-Ukrainian war are at the "final stage".
Source: European Pravda, citing Witkoff at the Ukrainian Breakfast in Davos organised by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, a Ukraine-based international philanthropic foundation
Quote from Witkoff: "I think we made a lot of progress. I think at the beginning of this process, there was a little bit of confusion. I was going to run into Moscow quite a bit, but I think it was important enough to go there."
Details: Witkoff also spoke about a conversation he had the previous evening with the Ukrainian delegation, which consists of Rustem Umierov, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council; Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the President's Office; and Davyd Arakhamiia, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction. He added that he feels "optimistic" about the possibility of ending the war.
"They've been amazing, by the way. You have an amazing negotiating team. We spent a lot of time together. I don't know how much, but it could be 100 hours together since Geneva. It's literally that comprehensive. And I think we've got it down to one issue. And we have discussed the duration of that issue, and that means it's solvable. So, if both sides want to solve this, we're going to get it solved. And I told the president [Trump – ed.] that last night," he said.
The special envoy also mentioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he is actively engaged on the issue.
"He's available, he's accessible. Whenever there's a need to call him to get a steer, we get on the phone with him," he stressed, adding that Trump is also always accessible.
Witkoff said he will next travel to Moscow and then straight on to Abu Dhabi.
"That's an important data point because in Abu Dhabi, there will be the working groups. Military to military [issues], prosperity [issues]," Witkoff said, noting that prosperity issues are critical.
"All night long, we spent at dinner last night talking about the upward trajectory for the Ukrainian economy and financial system. Capital markets, the jobs, the president has talked about a tariff-free zone from Ukraine that I think would be game-changing. You'll see industry move into that area in a huge way. Imagine you get to outcompete because you're not paying tariffs and sending goods into the United States," Witkoff concluded.
Background:
- On 17 January, the Ukrainian delegation consisting of Umierov, Budanov and Arakhamiia was in the United States for meetings with the US team.
- It was reported that the purpose of the Ukrainian team's visit to Florida was to finalise agreements on security guarantees and economic support for Ukraine from its US partners to help the country prosper.
- At the time, Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian delegation in the United States was to provide a full and accurate picture of events and the damage caused by Russian strikes.
- Zelenskyy also stated that he did not believe the talks between the Ukrainian and American teams had reached a deadlock.
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