Here's the latest
• Ukraine war talks: Ukrainian, US and Russian negotiators are holding talks in the UAE, in the first known meeting to be attended by all three countries since the war began nearly four years ago.
• Greenland deal: US President Donald Trump said a draft Greenland deal gives the US “total access” for defense. While Trump and NATO’s Mark Rutte reached an understanding, there’s no formalized document yet, sources say.
• US plan for Gaza: Trump unveiled his “Board of Peace,” which is tasked with rebuilding Gaza and solving global conflicts. His son-in-law Jared Kushner also presented a postwar “master plan” that includes a tourism zone and housing.
• Iran in focus: 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.
Back in Washington DC, here's what is on Trump's agenda today
While the first trilateral meeting between US, Ukrainian, and Russian negotiators is taking place in the UAE today, US President Donald Trump is expected to remain at the White House with no scheduled public events.
Pre-recorded remarks by the president are expected to be played at the 53rd annual March for Life today, with Vice President JD Vance delivering a speech to the group on the National Mall in person for a second year in a row.
Otherwise, Trump will participate in the following closed-door events, according to the White House:
- At 1:30 p.m. ET, Trump will have a media interview.
- He signs congressional bills at 3 p.m. ET.
- The president holds a 4:30 p.m. ET meeting with the commissioner of the US Social Security Administration.
- And at 5:30 p.m. ET, Trump will end his day with “policy time.”
All events on the president’s schedule will be held in the Oval Office and are closed to the press, but we’ll let you know if that changes.
Zelensky says his delegation "knows what to do" at trilateral talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has held consultations on speakerphone with Kyiv’s delegation at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) trilateral meeting and the entire team “knows what to do.”
The framework of the talks and the preferable result was discussed during the call, Zelensky said in an audio message released to journalists Friday.
“We also discussed that the format (of the talks) may be different and the team will decide on the ground depending on the (nature of the) dialogue,” he said.
“This is because such a format is happening for the first time in a long time.”
The Ukrainian president said he will be in constant contact with the delegation.
What Russia's negotiating team tells us about today's trilateral meeting
This first trilateral meeting seemed to appear out of nowhere, conjured by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos — presenting an idea US President Donald Trump had toyed with late last year as happening within hours. We will likely never know if this caught the Kremlin off guard and bounced them into attending, for risk of publicly snubbing the US process.
The three sides are now meeting, for the first time, at what Zelensky called “negotiator level,” in Abu Dhabi. That is in itself a step forward and means future meetings will have to find a reason to reject this new, more efficient form. But the Russians have still managed to give their acceptance a slight shrug of displeasure.
The team they are sending is not led by the Kremlin’s point man to the talks, diplomat Yuri Ushakov, but will instead be headed by GRU military intelligence chief Admiral Igor Kostyukov, who is a top spy and a big fish in Russia, went to the Istanbul talks last year, but has not led the public process before. It will be a military team. Ukraine is sending its top negotiators – a mixture of civilians, diplomats and security officials, with the Americans represented by the usual duo of Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, and a new face, White House adviser Josh Gruenbaum.
Moscow has clearly decided to send a quite different team, limiting what can be discussed and the speed of results. The Kremlin’s critics will point to this as yet another sign they are simply slow-rolling Trump’s diplomatic entreaties as they await more military progress on the frontlines.
This post has been updated with additional developments.
Trump's inaction is encouraging Putin in his bid to gain Ukrainian territory, geopolitical expert says
Russian President Vladimir Putin is emboldened by the fracture in the transatlantic relationship, according to the Head of Foreign Policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre.
John Lough told CNN’s Kim Brunhuber that Russia is “sticking to its guns” because US President Donald Trump is failing to use his leverage to deter Putin, and the Russian leader believes Ukraine is close to surrendering land,
“Putin’s conclusion is that Trump is not willing to put real pressure on Moscow to bring this war to an end. … He could introduce more sanctions, or he could enforce the existing sanctions,” Lough explained.
The geopolitical expert said Trump’s tepid action on Russia is fueling Putin’s commitment to territory gain from Ukraine, “Putin seems to think time is on his side,” he observed. “If he doesn’t believe President Trump is prepared to apply that pressure, what’s the point in settling now when he thinks he can get something much bigger further down the road?” Lough added.
A fifth year of war will damage an already depleted Russia, the foreign policy specialist said, but recent tensions between the US and its NATO allies give Putin hope for Russian influence throughout the bloc.
“This gives them (Russia) hope that the Ukrainians are not going to be able to integrate into any sort of NATO framework,” Lough remarked, “It gives them some optimism that they are going to be able to reassert themselves in Europe in a way that’s not been possible since the end of the Soviet Union.”
NOW: Trilateral meeting is underway in Abu Dhabi, source says
The meeting in Abu Dhabi between US, Ukrainian and Russian officials is now underway, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told CNN.
Zelensky reveals who he is sending for trilateral talks in UAE
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has given more details over the delegation Ukraine is sending for trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), later today.
The delegation will be led by Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov, who will attend alongside head of Zelensky’s office Kyrylo Budanov, negotiator David Arakhamia and chief of general staff Andrii Hnatov.
Zelensky added he had asked the head of military intelligence to send the deputy head, Maj. Gen. Vadym Skibitsky, so that there would be both military and intelligence representatives present.
Ukrainian diplomats will also be present, Zelensky said, including Serhii Kyslytsya, who serves as first deputy head of Zelensky’s office.
Some of Ukraine’s delegation were traveling directly from the World Economic Forum (WEF) gathering in Davos to Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile the Kremlin has stated that its delegation for the talks will consist of military representatives only.
Kremlin says Russian delegation for talks with US and Ukraine will consist of military officials only
The Kremlin has given more details about the trilateral meeting in the United Arab Emirates, revealing that its negotiating team will consist of representatives only from Russia’s Ministry of Defense and that this delegation departed for the talks today.
The Russian delegation will be led by Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Admiral Igor Kostyukov, the Kremlin said earlier Friday.
Russia’s team of officials will meet with US and Ukrainian representatives, the first known meeting between these three parties since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine in 2022, in the UAE’s capital of Abu Dhabi.
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the meeting will take place on Friday and, “if needed,” Saturday as well.
Peskov confirmed that members of Russia’s negotiating team departed Russia on Friday morning after receiving instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin following his talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Trump’s senior adviser Josh Gruenbaum.
The time of the trilateral meeting will be determined once the delegations are there, he added.
According to Peskov, Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev will also meet separately, one-on-one, with Witkoff in Abu Dhabi to discuss economic issues.
Peskov declined to go into the details of the provisions being discussed but said Moscow still maintains Ukraine leaving the Donbas is a key condition.
US to join Ukraine and Russia in first trilateral of war
Ukrainian, United States and Russian negotiators will hold talks in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, marking the first known meeting to be attended by all three countries since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
The talks come after President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for more than three hours beginning late Thursday. Kremlin aide Ushakov described those talks as “exceptionally substantive, constructive, and, I would say, extremely frank and confidential.”
But he also warned that “without resolving the territorial issue… one should not count on achieving a long-term settlement,” and added that Russia would continue to pursue its objectives “on the battlefield, where the Russian Armed Forces hold the strategic initiative,” until an agreement is reached.
Russia’s delegation to Abu Dhabi will be led by Main Intelligence Directorate Chief Admiral Igor Olegovich Kostyukov. Ukraine’s will include the deputy head of the presidential office and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov.
Hours before flying to Moscow Witkoff said negotiations were “down to one issue,” suggesting an agreement was perhaps within reach.
“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 that the remaining issue Witkoff referred to was territory.
Trump says US warships are moving toward Iran
Donald Trump said the US has “an armada” moving toward Iran “just in case,” renewing warnings over protests and Tehran’s nuclear program.
Here's what we know about Trump's plan for Gaza
CNN’s Oren Liebermann breaks down what we know about President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza as his “Board of Peace” was signed into action at the World Economic forum in Davos, Switzerland.
CNN's Oren Liebermann breaks down what we know about President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza as his Board of Peace was signed into action at the World Economic forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump’s son-in-law unveils "master plan" for Gaza reconstruction
“We have a master plan. … There is no Plan B,” said President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, unveiling his vision for postwar Gaza the World Economic Forum at Davos.
If it failed, he said, blame would be easy to ascribe. “If Hamas does not demilitarize, that will be what holds back the people of Gaza from achieving their aspirations,” he said Thursday.
His presentation took place after the signing of the charter for Trump’s “Board of Peace,” representing the next stage in the 20-point ceasefire plan agreed between Israel and Hamas.
Here are key points in his presentation:
- A “coastal tourism” zone would run along the seafront — long enough for up to 180 skyscrapers, many likely earmarked as hotels.
- A port was shown at the southwestern end of Gaza, alongside the border with Egypt, and immediately inland from the port, the map showed zoning for an airport.
- At “New Rafah,” more than 100,000 permanent housing units would be built, along with over 200 schools and more than 75 medical facilities, he said. He expressed hope that the construction would be completed within two to three years. Work has already begun to remove the rubble, he said.
- A “New Gaza” is to be a center of industry, with the aim of achieving 100% full employment, Kushner said. Computer-generated images suggest a metropolis bearing a strong resemblance to Persian Gulf cities like Doha and Dubai, with gleaming waterside accommodations and office locations.
- Governments will make the first contributions, Kushner said, with initial announcements to come at a conference in Washington in the next couple of weeks. He also appealed to the private sector to come forward, promising “amazing investment opportunities.”
CNN reconstructs US raid to capture Maduro
CNN reconstructed the January 3 mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro using eyewitness videos, mapping helicopter flight paths and building a 3D model. The analysis reveals the operation’s success depended on a couple of critical minutes and quite how dangerous these moments were. Subscribers can see the full investigation here.
CNN reconstructed the January 3 mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro using eyewitness videos, mapping helicopter flight paths and building a 3D model. The analysis reveals the operation’s success depended on a couple of critical minutes and quite how dangerous these moments were.
Admiral removed by Hegseth says women in the military don’t feel valued
Laura Coates speaks with retired Navy Admiral Nancy Lacore, who was removed from her post by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and is now running for Congress in South Carolina. Lacore says women in the military don’t feel valued and wondering if they should still serve.
Greenlanders welcome Trump’s apparent U-turn
Residents in Greenland reacted cautiously to US President Donald Trump’s apparent U-turn on using force to take control of the territory, welcoming his change of heart, while remaining skeptical about his actions.
CNN’s Nic Robertson spoke to residents in the capital Nuuk Thursday, finding a mix of relief and lingering anxiety driven by what many described as the US president’s unpredictability.
Resident Aqqalu Frederiksen said he felt some reassurance after Trump signaled he would not use force to acquire the island, but stressed that doubts persist.
Frederiksen went on to describe Trump’s initial threats as “quite terrifying,” pointing to the US capture of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.
Robertson also spoke to Greenlandic member of parliament Margrethe Thårup Andersen, asking whether the threat of Trump attempting to take over the territory had now passed.
“He’s not predictable,” she said.
