What we covered
• Ukraine talks: After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos, Switzerland, US President Donald Trump said there’s still “a ways to go” on ending Russia’s war. After meeting a US delegation, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said a “long-term settlement” would not be reached without first resolving territorial issues, according to a Kremlin official.
• Greenland deal: Trump said negotiations regarding Greenland currently give the US “total access” for defense. While Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reached an understanding yesterday, no formalized document has been produced, sources say.
• Gaza plans: Trump unveiled his “Board of Peace,” which is tasked with rebuilding Gaza and resolving global conflicts. Late tonight, he said he was withdrawing an invitation to Canadian leader Mark Carney to join the board.
Our live coverage has ended. Read more here.
Putin says he could donate $1 billion to Trump’s "Board of Peace" if US unfreezes Russian assets
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the possibility of donating $1 billion to President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” with United States special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner – but only if some Russian assets are unfrozen by the US, the Kremlin said Friday.
The rest of the funds from those reserves, which were frozen in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, “could be directed toward the reconstruction of territories affected during combat operations,” Ushakov said.
This would happen only after “a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine has been concluded,” he added.
Trump unveiled his controversial “Board of Peace” at Davos on Thursday. It offers member states permanent seats for a $1 billion price tag. Putin, who has been invited to join the board, has not yet committed but has previously floated using Russian assets frozen in the US to pay the fee.
Russia confirms talks with Ukraine and US in UAE Friday
Russia confirmed that a meeting between Ukrainian, United States and Russian officials will take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told reporters the meeting will take place in Abu Dhabi.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier announced Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos that a two-day meeting would take place, in a sign talks to end Russia’s war in Ukraine might be progressing.
The Russian negotiating team in Abu Dhabi would be led by Main Intelligence Directorate Chief (GRU) Admiral Igor Olegovich Kostyukov, according to Ushakov.
“I can add that our delegation has just received specific instructions from the Russian President, taking into account all the details of today’s conversation with the Americans,” Ushakov said, referring to a recently concluded meeting in Moscow between Vladimir Putin and Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
In addition to the trilateral meeting, Kremlin special envoy Kirill Dmitriev and US envoy Witkoff will lead a separate US-Russia meeting, Ushakov added.
Trump arrives at Joint Base Andrews after Davos trip
President Donald Trump is back on US soil, according to pool reports, landing at Joint Base Andrews aboard Air Force One at 9:30 p.m.
The president boarded Marine One to return to the White House at 9:43 p.m.
No prospect of “long-term settlement” on Ukraine unless territorial issues solved: Kremlin aide
Russian President Vladimir Putin told US negotiators that a “long-term settlement” for ending Moscow’s war in Ukraine would not be reached without first resolving territorial issues, according to a Kremlin official.
“The main thing is that during these negotiations between our President and the Americans, it was once again stated that without resolving the territorial issue according to the formula agreed upon in Anchorage, one should not count on achieving a long-term settlement,” Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told reporters Friday.
The recently concluded talks between Putin and Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow lasted around four hours and were described by Ushakov as being “exceptionally substantive, constructive, and, I would say, extremely frank and confidential.”
Hours before flying to Moscow, Witkoff said negotiations to hammer out a peace deal were “down to one issue.”
“I think we’ve got it down to one issue, and we have discussed iterations of that issue, and that means it’s solvable,” he said, speaking at an event in Davos on Thursday.
A European official later confirmed to CNN the remaining issue Witkoff referred to was territory.
During the meeting in Moscow with Witkoff and Kushner, Putin emphasized that Russia was “sincerely interested in resolving the Ukrainian crisis through political and diplomatic methods,” Ushakov said.
But until that happens, Russia will continue to “pursue” its invasion “on the battlefield, where the Russian Armed Forces hold the strategic initiative,” Ushakov added.
US president Donald Trump hosted Putin at a much-touted summit in Anchorage, Alaska last year, that ended without a breakthrough and few details of what was discussed.
Trump teases invoking NATO’s Article 5 to address US southern border
President Donald Trump today floated the idea that he should have invoked NATO’s Article 5 to help control the US southern border, suggesting the alliance could be used to bolster US border security.
The president’s post comes as he is returning from Switzerland, where he participated in the World Economic Forum and met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The suggestion appeared to once again underscore Trump’s long-held view that the United States does far more for NATO than it gets in return.
Article 5 is the principle that an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all. It has been a cornerstone of the alliance since it was founded in 1949 as a counterweight to the Soviet Union. It has been formally invoked only once, following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.
Trump withdrawing invitation for Canadian PM to join his "Board of Peace"
President Donald Trump said Thursday he is withdrawing an invitation previously extended to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to join his “Board of Peace.”
In a Truth Social post addressed to Carney, Trump wrote that the board was rescinding its invitation for Canada’s leader to join what he called “the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time.”
“Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining,” Trump wrote.
Earlier Thursday, the president unveiled the Board of Peace in Davos, Switzerland.
Context: The board, indefinitely chaired by Trump, was originally conceived as a limited body tasked with overseeing the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, which was devastated by Israel’s two-year war. However, its purpose has since expanded to tackle conflicts the world over, and the charter draft, which was sent along with the invitations to join, does not even reference Gaza.
Carney, who has repeatedly railed against Trump ripping up the global “rules-based order” and imposing punishing tariffs, intended to join with conditions, CNN previously reported. He said the details, including financial ones, have yet to be worked out.
EU leaders present calmly confident front after a week of Trump-fueled upheaval
A quiet confidence exuded from the presidents of the European Union’s leadership on Friday morning as they addressed journalists following an extraordinary meeting of the bloc’s leaders.
The gathering ran late into the night, with leaders both debriefing the diplomatic rollercoaster of the past week, as US President Donald Trump threatened to annex Greenland, and considering how to ward off unwanted pressures in the future.
EU Council President Antonio Costa said that “we believe that relationships between nations and allies should be managed in a cordial and respectful way,” while EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the bloc’s “firm but non-escalatory” stance vis-à-vis the US, in a veiled slight at the brash attacks of the Trump administration online and in speeches this week.
The language reflected the gravity of events surrounding Greenland, with Costa looking for the bloc to “engage constructively with the US” – terms more commonly associated with unfriendly nations – while von der Leyen said that the EU’s “work on independence is more important than ever.”
Von der Leyen promised greater investment in Greenland, including a surge in spending on security, potentially on assets like an EU icebreaker, a key to access in the far North.
Putin's meeting with US negotiators ends, lasting more than 3 hours
A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and a US delegation has ended, lasting more than three hours, the Kremlin announced.
The talks began soon after the US negotiators, which include special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, arrived in Moscow late Thursday night with the hope of ending the war in Ukraine.
The discussions continued into the early hours of Friday, past 3 a.m. in Moscow.
In early December, a meeting between the two parties went on for nearly five hours.
In a post on X after the meeting, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian sovereign wealth fund, called the discussion “important.”
European leaders finish meeting on Greenland
The European Council meeting on Greenland is now over, the French presidency said.
The leaders of the countries in the European Union had convened in Brussels for an emergency summit to address US President Donald Trump’s ongoing statements about acquiring Greenland.
Vance says Europe has "gone down this path of civilization suicide”
Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized European nations on Thursday, saying they have moved toward what he called “civilization suicide.”
“Europe has absolutely gone down this path, luckily, it’s not there yet, but has gone down this path of civilization suicide,” Vance said during an interview on Newsmax.
The vice president said the Trump administration’s criticism of Europe stems from a desire to see it strengthen itself politically, economically and militarily.
“We share a common civilizational heritage. You can’t drive your economy off the cliff. Why do we care about NATO? Because we want Europe to be able to defend itself, if, God forbid, they were invaded. We actually love Europe,” he said.
Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Massie accuses Bondi of purposefully stalling release of Epstein files
GOP Rep. Thomas Massie accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of “breaking the law,” and said she is “absolutely” stalling the release of the documents in the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.
“We don’t want millions of documents. We know exactly what we want,” added Massie. “We know exactly what they’re hiding, and they’re doing it on purpose.”
In November, Congress passed a law requiring the Justice Department to release all Epstein documents by mid-December. However there are still millions of documents that have not been released.
Asked by CNN’s Manu Raju what are the next steps if the DOJ doesn’t comply, Massie said, “We may be doing something soon legislatively. I don’t want to spill the punch.”
Trump spoke to reporters on Air Force One while flying back from Davos. Here's what he said
US President Donald Trump discussed his views on a range of foreign policy matters when he spoke to reporters on Air Force One on his way back from Davos, Switzerland.
Here’s a quick recap of what he said:
• US convoy to Iran: Trump said a major convoy of US military assets was steaming toward Iran “just in case,” but that he’d rather not use it to strike the country following the regime’s crackdown on protesters. The convoy is expected to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days.
• Trump and Machado call: He said he spoke with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado today, though he continued to voice support for the country’s acting president who took over after the US captured Nicolás Maduro. Trump offered positive assessments of both leaders but stood by his assertion that Machado did not have enough support to lead the country.
• Vague details on Greenland: Trump said the US could do “whatever we want” when asked whether a future Greenland deal would allow the US to control land in the Arctic territory. When asked whether the deal would include new pockets of US sovereignty, Trump offered a non-specific response, saying the deal had “a lot of great things.”
• Running “Board of Peace”: He said he is open to remaining chairman of his Board of Peace beyond his second term, even potentially “for life,” saying the decision would ultimately be his to make.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak and Alejandra Jaramillo contributed to this report.
House rejects resolution to rein in Trump’s war powers in Venezuela
The House on Thursday squashed a bipartisan resolution aiming to restrain President Donald Trump’s White House from taking any further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval.
The push followed the Trump administration’s “large scale strike” against Venezuela and capture of its then-President Nicolás Maduro. President Donald Trump has since said the US will play a central role in running Venezuela and has not ruled out military involvement in the nation — a point of contention on Capitol Hill.
Trump says he's open to chairing "Board of Peace" for life but unsure he wants that
President Donald Trump said he is open to remaining chairman of his “Board of Peace” beyond his second term, even potentially “for life,” saying the decision would ultimately be his to make.
“I have the right to be, if I want,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One while flying back to Washington from Switzerland. “I mean, I’ll decide,” he added, saying that he will see what happens.
Trump also indicated that others are encouraging him to stay on in the role, before adding, “But I’m not sure I want that.”
According to the Board of Peace charter, the chairman may only be replaced “following voluntary resignation or as a result of incapacity,” and the document specifically names Trump as the inaugural chairman, language that appears to entrench his role unless he chooses to step aside.
Trump was also asked about the possibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin using frozen Russian assets to finance his entry into the Board of Peace.
“He’s going to join the Board of Peace, and he’s going to make a contribution of a billion dollars, and by using his money – I mean, if he’s using his money — that’s great,” Trump said.
What to know as we track US negotiations with Russia and Ukraine toward ending the war
Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting US negotiators at the Kremlin tonight to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
This comes after US President Donald Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos, Switzerland.
Here’s what you need to know:
Who is in the meeting in Moscow: The US delegation includes special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Josh Gruenbaum, the Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner. Gruenbaum previously participated in US-Russia consultations held in Miami, Florida, Russian state media outlet TASS reported. Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, and Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian sovereign wealth fund, are participating on the Russian side of the talks.
Trilateral meeting in UAE: A Ukrainian delegation is en route to the United Arab Emirates where it will meet with representatives from Russia and the US on Friday, Zelensky said.
Trump-Zelensky meeting: Trump said he had a good meeting with Zelensky but that there’s still “a ways to go” toward ending the war. Zelensky also called the meeting positive and said he was “returning home with agreements on a new package of critically needed air defense for the protection of our people.”
Zelensky scolds Europe: In a speech in Davos, Zelensky criticized a lack of progress on establishing a special tribunal for Russian aggression at the International Criminal Court. “Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking action today, action that defines what kind of future we will have,” he added. “What’s missing, time or political will?” He also criticized the European Union of “looking lost” as the US focus shifts elsewhere.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky encouraged world leaders to stand with Ukraine, saying "without action now, there is no there is no, there is no tomorrow."
CNN’s Sophie Tanno, Adam Cancryn, Nina Subkhanberdina, Darya Tarasova , Max Saltman and Max Foster contributed to this report.
Trump says US military ships are heading toward Iran, but he hopes to avoid strikes
President Donald Trump said a major convoy of US military assets was steaming toward Iran, but that he’d rather not use it to strike the country amid heightened tensions following a wave of protests.
“We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. We have a big force going toward Iran,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
“I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely,” he went on, citing Iran’s claims it had called off planned executions of protesters last week.
A US aircraft carrier strike group, along with other military assets, is expected to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days.
Ahead of key Ukraine talks, Russia flies bombers over the Baltic Sea
Russia said its long-range bomber planes conducted a scheduled five-hour patrol flight over the Baltic Sea on Thursday — an operation likely intended as a show of force as diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine ratchet up again.
The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement about the flight just minutes after a meeting began at the Kremlin between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
It said the long-range bombers, accompanied by Russian fighter jets, were at certain stages of the route escorted by “fighter jets from foreign countries.”
Russia conducts similar flights on regular basis, often prompting NATO countries to scramble jets in the area.
Trump says he spoke with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado today
President Donald Trump said he spoke with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado today, though he continued to voice support for the country’s acting president, who took over after the US captured Nicolas Maduro.
“I also spoke with Maria today, and you know, who I like a lot,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
When asked if he would let acting Venezuelan president Delcy Rodriguez remain in power, the president offered a positive assessment of her, too.
“But she’s shown very strong leadership so far, I have to say, and we’re moving in to the United States millions of barrels of oil as we speak,” Trump said of Rodriguez. “Well, right now they’re very strong leadership. I mean, they’re showing very strong leadership.”
Trump met with the opposition leader last week at the White House, and she presented the president with her Nobel Peace Prize. But even then, the White House said he stood by his assertion that she did not have enough support to lead the country.
CNN has asked the White House for comment on the call.
Trump says prospective Greenland deal would allow US to do "whatever we want"
President Donald Trump continued offering vague details of the framework deal for Greenland as he was returning to Washington from Europe, saying more information would be available in two weeks.
The now-familiar fortnight timeline came as the president was questioned aboard Air Force One about whether the deal would include US ownership of the Arctic island, which had been Trump’s bar.
Trump said the US could do “whatever we want” when asked whether the deal would allow the US to control land in Greenland.
When he was asked whether it would include new pockets of US sovereignty — an idea that had been floated in the wake of the president’s announcement of a framework deal — Trump offered a nonspecific response.
“We have a lot of great things in the deal,” he said, adding it would also be positive for Europe and that NATO would be heavily involved.
“We’ll have something in two weeks,” he said. “There’s a good spirit to get something done.”
He said a deal would be “much more generous” than existing agreements stipulating the US presence in Greenland.
