Ukraine in January 2026: the most important developments in politics
Ukraine in January 2026 was defined by diplomacy with the United States, centred on the meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 22 January. Zelensky had cancelled his trip on 20 January after a reported snub by Trump, then agreed to the meeting the next day. In Davos he said US security guarantees for Ukraine were ready, and Trump said the war must end and unveiled a Board of Peace. Earlier, on 15 January, Trump had said Zelensky, not Vladimir Putin, was blocking a peace deal, a claim the Kremlin agreed with.
Peace talks then widened. On 23 and 24 January Russia, Ukraine and the United States held their first trilateral talks since the war began, in Abu Dhabi, focused on territory including the Donbas. Ukraine called them constructive, while Russia repeated that Ukraine must give up territory. US reports said long-term guarantees were offered in exchange for territorial concessions, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Donetsk remained a difficult point. On 28 and 29 January the Kremlin invited Zelensky to Moscow, and on 30 January Zelensky invited Putin to Kyiv and ruled out Moscow. Trump said Putin had agreed to pause attacks on Kyiv for a week, and a US-backed halt to strikes on energy infrastructure appeared to be holding.
European allies worked on security guarantees. Zelensky attended a Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris on 6 January. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said British MPs would vote on any troop deployment, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said deployment without Russia's consent would be impossible, and Italy rejected sending soldiers.
On EU membership, the European Commission considered a limited form of membership for Ukraine, and some capitals expressed concern. Zelensky said he expected accession next year, Merz rejected a fast-track process, and Hungary's government said it would not allow Ukraine to join. At home, parliament confirmed Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister and Denys Shmyhal as first vice prime minister and energy minister, and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was charged with bribery.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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