Trump and Zelensky Discuss 'Board of Peace' Amidst Peace Talks

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Ukrainian delegation which he said would meet with representatives from Russia and the US was now en route to the United Arab Emirates where the meeting is meant to take place starting Friday. The White House and the Kremlin have yet to comment on what Zelensky says is a trilateral meeting. Traveling back from the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he met with the US President Donald Trump, Zelensky said he was “returning home with agreements on a new package of critically needed air defense for the protection of our people.” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed apprehension about Russian President Vladimir Putin being invited to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, given Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump unveiled his controversial Board of Peace at Davos on Thursday. Putin, who has been invited to join the board, has not yet committed but has floated using Russian assets frozen in the US to pay the $1 billion fee for a permanent seat. The UK has not signed up. “They’re raining down bombs on Ukraine,” Starmer said. “We mustn’t let the events of the last week or so deflect from the focus.” Earlier in the day British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK will not sign the Board of Peace treaty due to concerns about Russian involvement. “We need to work with the Americans, with our allies, and others to defend and support Ukraine in a conflict which is not of their making,” Starmer said. His remarks come as Trump said he’d had a good meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky but that there was still “a ways to go” toward ending its war with Russia. Starmer’s comments about Russia come as he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed Arctic security in a call on Thursday, according to a Downing Street spokesperson. Rutte told Sky News earlier that he had discussed how to “save the Arctic from the Russians and the Chinese” in a meeting with Trump on Wednesday. CNN’s Max Saltman and Max Foster contributed reporting. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a rebuttal to recent threats and insults from US President Donald Trump on Thursday, saying in a speech that his country “doesn’t live because of the United States.” “We are masters in our own home,” Carney then said in French, quoting a Quebecois political slogan he often deploys while speaking publicly. “This is our country, this is our future, the choice is ours.” The location of Carney’s speech on Thursday was not without symbolism. The Citadelle was built in 1820 to repel US forces, less than a decade after a failed American invasion of Canada. Trump escalated his rhetoric against Canada this week, on Tuesday posting an image of North America with Canada, Greenland and Venezuela eclipsed by the colors of the American flag. The next day, the president claimed in a speech in Davos, Switzerland, that Canada was ungrateful for the many “freebies” it receives from the United States. Carney, meanwhile, warned world leaders in Davos of a “global rupture,” saying that “middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Thursday that US ownership of Greenland “didn’t come up” during his meeting with Donald Trump in Davos – and he does not see the US president’s new position as a “U-turn.” “We didn’t discuss it,” Rutte said in an interview with Sky News on Thursday. “Didn’t come up last night.” “What I can say is that we discussed on what is his idea, his vision,” Rutte said, claiming that he and Trump focused on how NATO can “save the Arctic from the Russians and the Chinese.” After his meeting with Rutte on Wednesday, Trump declared on Truth Social that he would refrain from an earlier threat to tariff European countries for standing in the way of a US takeover of Greenland. The NATO chief also told Sky News that he does not see the president’s new position as a “U-turn.” “I don’t think there’s a U-turn,” Rutte said, explaining that Trump “started to focus European and Canadian allies on the Arctic, Greenland, but also the wider Arctic” during his first term. “And then when he came back into office, he again said, ‘hey, it’s still not solved to a sufficient level,’” Rutte added. “And he is right.” Asked by Sky whether the consternation caused by Trump’s Greenland comments amounted to a distraction for NATO allies, Rutte disagreed, even crediting Trump with “saving NATO.” “I think he was right to get that debate going on,” Rutte said. “How can we protect the Arctic? How can we make sure that the Arctic is safe? And I would argue that after saving NATO, he is now the one who has led the charge to make sure that collectively, we will save the Arctic region.” Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Thursday that Europe ought to have its own army, in comments echoing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech at Davos, Switzerland. “I think it’s time that Europe takes its own fate and its sovereignty in its own hands,” Albares told CNN’s Richard Quest on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. “And that means really removing all of the obstacles of the single market,” Albares said, “making sure that we have the right trade partners in this moment in which people start to talk about tariffs, and that we have also deterrence in our hands, our own security, integrating our industries of defense and moving towards a European army.” In his speech earlier Thursday, Zelensky suggested that Europe is too reliant on the US for its security, saying that “Europe needs united armed forces, forces that can truly defend Europe today.” When CNN asked Albares if his suggestions for defense would include additional aid to Ukraine, Albares replied that Spain is “doing as much as we can,” noting that half of the country’s aid is going to Ukraine. Albares added that Spain will continue to supply aid until Ukraine has a “just and lasting peace,” saying Ukraine’s situation directly correlates to Europe’s future and democracy there. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky praised France for intercepting a sanctioned Russian tanker in the Mediterranean on Thursday, saying this was “exactly the kind of resolve needed to ensure that Russian oil no longer finances Russia’s war.” French President Emmanuel Macron announced earlier on Thursday that the French navy intercepted the tanker with the help of several allies. British Defence Secretary John Healey said later that the United Kingdom provided tracking and monitoring in support of the French operation to board the tanker Grinch. Macron said the tanker, which was suspected of flying a false flag, was diverted and that a judicial investigation has been opened. The tanker, which was intercepted by the French navy in the Mediterranean on Thursday morning, was carrying Russian oil to China and India, a French military source told CNN. “The activities of the ‘shadow fleet’ contribute to financing the war of aggression against Ukraine,” he added. The Russian state news agency TASS quoted the Russian embassy in France as saying that French authorities had not informed it of the operation, and added it was investigating whether any Russian citizens were among the crew. Zelensky’s praise for the operation came after the Ukrainian leader, who traveled to Davos to meet US President Donald Trump, used his speech at the World Economic Forum to scold Kyiv’s European allies for their inaction when it comes to Russia’s war in Ukraine, comparing it to their behavior surrounding Greenland in recent days. While President Donald Trump’s visit to Davos, Switzerland, focused predominantly on foreign affairs, his Vice President JD Vance has stepped up in promoting the administration’s domestic economic message. At a speech in Toledo, Ohio, on Thursday, Vance said the United States economy has “an affordability crisis,” but added that it was one created when Joe Biden was president. “You don’t turn the Titanic around overnight,” Vance said. “It takes time to fix what was broken.” The RMS Titanic hit an iceberg in April 1912, sustained irreparable damage and ultimately sank, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,500 people. A spokesperson for Vance didn’t immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. His comments come at a time when many Americans are experiencing mounting financial stress. Increasingly, more Americans are late at paying bills and they’re seeing wage growth slow and job opportunities vanish. Video Ad Feedback Greenlanders welcome Trump’s U-Turn 01:24 • Source: CNN Greenlanders welcome Trump’s U-Turn 01:24 Residents in Greenland have 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, finding a mix of relief and lingering anxiety driven by what many described as the US president’s unpredictability. Another 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. Despite those concerns, many Greenlanders said their trust lies firmly with Denmark, the European Union and Greenland’s own government. “I trust the European Union. I trust Denmark. And our Greenlandic government,” Putsi said. Video Ad Feedback Greenland’s prime minister says sovereignty is a "red line" in any deal 01:44 • Source: CNN Greenland’s prime minister says sovereignty is a "red line" in any deal 01:44 Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Thursday that he wasn’t sure “what’s concrete” in US President Donald Trump’s announced “framework” for a “future deal” on Greenland. Trump yesterday announced that he had achieved the new “framework” after a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Nielsen said he understood that at that meeting, Rutte “delivered the message that we actually have delivered a couple of days ago with our representative from the government of Greenland.” The prime minister added that Greenland is open to any number of plans to further integrate into NATO, including through a “permanent mission” on the island, so long as any plans emerge from a baseline of “respect” for their sovereignty. “We have a responsibility,” Nielsen said. “So, let’s talk about it through the right channels, in a respectful manner. Then I’m sure we can work something out that benefits.” Greenland’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is a “red line,” Nielsen continued. Earlier in the press conference, he told reporters that Greenland’s position is clear. Video Ad Feedback Ukraine, US and Russia will hold trilateral meeting in UAE starting Friday, Zelensky says 00:27 • Source: CNN Ukraine, US and Russia will hold trilateral meeting in UAE starting Friday, Zelensky says 00:27 Ukrainian, US and Russian officials are to hold a trilateral meeting in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday, in a sign that peace talks to end the war in Ukraine are intensifying. The two-day meeting will take place on Friday and Saturday, the Ukrainian leader said as he delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Speaking to reporters later, Zelensky revealed that the Ukrainian delegation will include the head and deputy head of his presidential office, Kyrylo Budanov and Serhii Kyslytsia; the head of the parliamentary faction of Zelensky’s Servant of the People party and negotiator, David Arakhamia; and the Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov. “I asked Hnatov to fly in from Kyiv; the military must be present,” Zelensky told the reporters. “We are at the moment when, I think, if all the sides will work a lot, we will end this war, but if somebody will play the games, I don’t know who, but I’m just sharing with you. If someone will play games, the war will continue,” he said. This was a very strident broadside by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky against European leaders he says have not done enough over the past year. They remain, he said, “in Greenland mode, maybe someone, somewhere will do something.” Zelensky thanked France and the UK for offering troops in the event of a peace deal, but otherwise tried to stir European leaders – still reeling from US President Donald Trump’s whirlwind of noise around Greenland – into action to forge a new world order. “We need something to replace the old world order with, but where are the leaders to do that?” he said. Zelensky revealed plans for US, Russian and Ukrainian leaders to meet in the United Arab Emirates in the coming days, for what would mark the first trilateral meeting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Trump had floated such an idea late last year – and Russia rejected it. That it is now likely happening might suggest some progress in peace talks, if only on the procedural front. The speech’s tone – defiant against a part of Europe that has been Zelensky’s key support base – was designed to appeal to the White House. Parts of it would have pleased both US Vice-President JD Vance and Trump himself. But it was also designed to use the embarrassment and vertigo of the Greenland crisis to urge sedentary European leaders into real action. Zelensky was complimentary about how Trump’s snatching of Venezuela’s former president Nicolas Maduro led to him facing trial in New York. But he reminded Europeans that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin did not face a similar fate, and that the people of Iran had been left to face the brutality of their security forces. He danced around the issue of US weapons supplies, saying he had discussed air defenses with Trump, but that he had been advised not to mention the US Tomahawk missiles Ukraine urgently wants. Zelensky wanted to leave a mark on his European hosts that Trump would appreciate and convey the idea that the peace process has momentum, saying the documents were “almost ready.” The answer to the key question of whether Putin will sign up to them likely leans towards the negative. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reached a verbal understanding about Greenland during their meeting yesterday, but no document has been produced yet memorializing a future deal, people familiar with their discussion told CNN. Trump and Rutte agreed to further discussions about updating a 1951 agreement between the US, Denmark and Greenland that governs the US military’s presence on the island, the sources said. The deal framework also guarantees that Russia and China will be barred from any investments in Greenland and lays out an enhanced role for NATO in Greenland, they said. Two sources said another element of a possible deal is increased US access to Greenland’s natural resources. Rutte on Thursday denied that he had discussed this issue with Trump directly. One person familiar with the discussions said Rutte did not want any formal documents prepared during his meeting with Trump because he was concerned they could leak — or be posted by Trump himself on social media. Trump earlier this week posted a private message Rutte sent to him ahead of their talks. The lack of any written documentation has caused some confusion among NATO allies about what was actually agreed upon. Read more. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Globb urged European leaders to move forward in solidarity as they face the prospect of a new world order that shifts away from decades-long norms. Speaking to CNN’s Becky Anderson, the statesman expressed his empathy for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying, “I understand rather well the frustration uttered by President Zelensky … I know the root cause for it, it’s not a new thing.” The prime minister reflected positively on the bloc’s recent response to US President Donald Trump’s threat to raise tariffs on his NATO allies and annex Greenland from Denmark. “Europe is only strong when it’s united,” he said, adding his approval of NATO’s decision to hold out and defy Trump’s demands. “In the last week, Europe finally showed some backbone,” he said. Globb joined British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, among much of Europe, in declining the US president’s offer to sit on his newly founded “Board of Peace.” When asked about Trump’s wish to have it work with the United Nations, Globb said: “No mechanism can be … parallel to the United Nations.” And on the future of NATO, Slovenia’s leader said that while the line demarking the organization’s dissolution has not yet been crossed, recent events have brought the alliance “close to it.” US President Donald Trump said he had a good meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos, Switzerland, today, but added that there’s still “a ways to go” toward ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. “The war has to end,” he said as he emerged from the meeting. “We hope it’s going to end. There are a lot of people being killed.” “It’s an ongoing process,” Trump added. “Everybody wants to have the war end.” Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the meeting was “positive,” adding that was “enough” to say about it. The Ukrainian president said the “last mile” of negotiations “is very difficult.” “During any dialogue, with any president, I have to defend the interests of my country. That’s why the dialogue is maybe, it’s not simple,” he said. “But it was today. It was positive.” Zelensky’s comments came after his speech at the World Economic Forum, during which he called out European leaders on their inaction when it comes to the war in Ukraine, comparing it to their behavior surrounding Greenland in recent days. CNN’s Kaitlin Collins explains more about what we know so far: Video Ad Feedback What we know about Trump's meeting with Zelensky President Trump has said that the Ukraine war 'has to end' after meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky in a private bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports. 01:06 • Source: CNN What we know about Trump's meeting with Zelensky 01:06 Vice President JD Vance said the United States will “keep on trying to make sure that we secure that land mass” as he addressed the negotiations about US access to Greenland on Thursday. Vance’s comment came in response to a reporter’s question about his understanding of the framework of a future deal over Greenland. While Vance did not answer that directly, he stressed US national security interests in the island. “We would need control over the Arctic in order to shoot that missile down. Our entire missile defense system depends on that Arctic security,” Vance said while taking questions from reporters in Toledo, Ohio. Of the deal framework, Vance said the “negotiations with NATO are going fine.” Video Ad Feedback Zelensky calls out Europe's inaction saying the bloc is in "Greenland mode" 01:35 • Source: CNN Zelensky calls out Europe's inaction saying the bloc is in "Greenland mode" 01:35 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called out European leaders on their inaction when it comes to the war on Ukraine, comparing it to their behavior surrounding Greenland in recent days. “Everyone turned attention to Greenland, and it’s clear most leaders simply are not sure what to do about it. And it seems like everyone is just waiting for America to cool down on this topic, hoping it will pass away. But what if it will not, what then?” Zelensky questioned. “You either declare that European bases will protect the region from Russia and China and establish those bases, or you risk not being taken seriously,” Zelensky said about Greenland, echoing what US President Donald Trump has said about the security of the Arctic region. “Because 40 soldiers will not protect anything.” Zelensky warned of Russian warships “sailing freely around Greenland,” and he offered Urkaine’s expertise and weapons “to ensure not one of those ships remains.” “They can sink near Greenland, just as they do near Crimea,” he added. “We can take actions and we know how to fight there, if we were asked, and if Ukraine were in NATO — but we are not.”