Summary

  1. Ukraine and US agree post-war security guarantees as talks enter 'last mile'published at 20:54 GMT 22 January

    Matt Spivey
    Live editor

    Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky standing in suits, looking at each other and shaking handsImage source, Reuters

    A day of diplomacy began with relief in Europe after US President Donald Trump climbed down on his tariff threats over Greenland.

    But Danish PM Mette Frederiksen struck a defiant tone: "We can negotiate on everything political; security, investments, economy. But we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty."

    In Davos, eyes turned to Trump's launch of his board of peace - here's what we know about it, and who it includes.

    The arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Switzerland marked a shift in focus on the diplomatic stage to the war in Ukraine.

    Following the hour-long meeting Trump said "everybody wants to have the war end" as Zelensky announced that documents aimed at bringing peace to Ukraine "are nearly ready".

    Ukraine's president said "I think this is the last mile" before announcing Kyiv and the US had agreed on post-war security guarantees, but they are yet to be signed. We've taken a look at why they are so vital for Ukraine.

    As he left Switzerland aboard Air Force One, Trump said "it was an incredible time in Davos...so many good things happening!"

    Still to come: US special envoy Steve Witkoff has reportedly arrived in Moscow to meet Russian leader Putin, ahead of a trilateral meeting between Washington, Moscow and Kyiv in Abu Dhabi tomorrow.

    We're now ending our live coverage, but you can keep up to date in our news story.

  2. Macron says 'we remain vigilant' as he welcomes Trump's climbdownpublished at 20:34 GMT 22 January

    French President Emmanuel Macron in a black suit, white shirt and burgundy tie answers questions as he arrives to the European Parliament in Brussels. He's wearing aviator sunglassesImage source, European Council

    As he arrived in Brussels earlier this evening for a special meeting with fellow European leaders, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump's decision to stand down on imposing tariffs on his and seven other countries.

    But he said "we remain vigilant" and today's meeting was important to reinforce the message of EU unity and support to Denmark.

    "We started the week with a form of escalation, of threats of invasion and tariffs," he said. "And we're now facing a situation that seems to me more acceptable. Even though we remain vigilant."

    He reiterated the importance for Europe to respond in a "united" manner, and added: "We want peace, stability and a calm international order."

  3. 'We need permanent Nato presence in the Arctic,' says Danish PMpublished at 20:09 GMT 22 January

    Mette Frederiksen speaking to reporters. European Union flags are in the backgroundImage source, Reuters

    In Brussels, European leaders have gathered for an informal meeting of the European Council to discuss the whirlwind of developments we've seen this week.

    While we continue to monitor updates from that meeting, here's what Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters upon her arrival.

    Reacting to Donald Trump's demands over Greenland, Frederiksen said Denmark remains "a sovereign state and we cannot negotiate with that".

    But she added that they are willing to work, "as we always have done, about security".

    Frederiksen also said that she's asked Nato to be more present in the Arctic region.

    "We need a permanent presence from Nato in the Arctic region, including around Greenland," she said. "We have to work together respectfully without threatening each other," she added.

  4. Military co-operation, Arctic security and Nato: Starmer discusses Greenland crisis with Danish PMpublished at 19:57 GMT 22 January

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (right) and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (left)Image source, EPA

    UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed "deepening" military co-operation with the Danish PM following the Greenland crisis, Downing Street say.

    Starmer and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen met at Chequers a little earlier.

    A Downing Street spokesperson said: "The leaders began by reflecting on recent developments.

    "They agreed that security in the Arctic was a matter for the entire Nato alliance, and Europe and Nato would continue to drive forward progress.

    "The leaders also discussed how the UK and Denmark could deepen broader security cooperation, both bilaterally and across Europe, including through increasing interoperability between militaries."

  5. Key events to keep an eye on going forwardpublished at 19:43 GMT 22 January

    After a packed day of meetings and speeches from world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, here are the key upcoming events:

    Tonight

    • EU leaders are meeting in Brussels for an emergency summit in response to the Greenland crisis that threatened Nato's alliance
    • US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are on their way to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow to further negotiate terms over the end of the Russia-Ukraine war

    Tomorrow

    • Ukraine's peace delegation is heading to the United Arab Emirates for "trilateral" talks with both US and Russian officials - this comes after Zelensky announced he and Donald Trump had agreed a deal on security guarantees was "done"
    • President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the negotiations will take place over the course of two days in Abu Dhabi

    Monday

    • The European Parliament will debate the suspension of approval of its key trade deal with the US, which occurred in protest against what it describes as "blackmail" from the US over Greenland

    As always, we'll be keeping across all of the main points and providing you the latest updates.

  6. One dead and four injured in Russian attack on Ukrainepublished at 19:26 GMT 22 January

    Just hours after Volodymyr Zelensky addressed world leaders in Davos, Ukraine's emergency services say one person has been killed and four others wounded in a Russian attack in Zaporizhia, southeastern Ukraine.

    Russian troops struck several houses in Zaporizhia, damaging a number of buildings, the emergency services said in a statement on Telegram.

    Rescue workers also rushed to put out a fire on the roof of a residential home, the statement added.

  7. 'Greenland structure being worked on, and will be amazing for USA' - Trumppublished at 19:15 GMT 22 January

    Plane flying above airport.Image source, EPA/Shutterstock
    Image caption,

    Air Force One departing from Zurich Airport

    We've just had an update from US President Donald Trump, who is making his way back from Davos, Switzerland.

    He spoke at the World Economic Forum both yesterday and today, in his latest Truth Social post he says:

    "Heading back to D.C. It was an incredible time in Davos. The Greenland structure is being worked on, and will be amazing for the U.S.A., and the Board of Peace is something that the world has never seen before.

    "Very special. So many good things happening! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP."

  8. Donbas - why is it a sticking point in Ukraine peace deal?published at 18:52 GMT 22 January

    As we just heard from our Europe digital editor, questions remain over whether Putin will agree to the US plan for a demilitarised, free trade zone in Donbas. But, where is it and why is it a point of contention?

    Donbas refers to an area encompassing the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, which run from outside Mariupol in the south all the way to the northern border with Russia.

    A map of Ukraine that locates Donetsk and Luhansk on the East, most of it is white but some is orange - indication Russian-backed separatist held areas.

    The region is Ukraine's coal and steel-producing area.

    Donbas is predominantly Russian-speaking and after Russia seized Crimea in 2014, its proxy forces captured more than a third of Ukraine's east.

    Before the war, Putin recognised all of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent of Ukraine. Once the 2022 invasion began, Moscow scaled back its ambitions to capture Kyiv and moved its focus to Donbas.

    Last month, Zelensky said: "We can't just withdraw, it's out of our law. It's not only the law. People live there, 300,000 people... We can't lose those people."

    And today, after meeting Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Ukrainian president told reporters that "it's all about the land. This is the issue which is not solved yet".

    The US proposal for Ukraine's industrial heartland in Donbas is for a demilitarised and free economic zone in exchange for security guarantees for Kyiv.

    "If both sides want to solve this, we're going to get it solved," US special envoy Steve Witkoff said. Whether this can be achieved is yet to be seen.

  9. Analysis

    Ukraine now gears up for three-way talks with US and Russiapublished at 18:34 GMT 22 January

    Paul Kirby
    Europe digital editor

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) shakes hands with US President Donald Trump (R). They're standing indoors, two Ukrainian flags and two US ones behind themImage source, EPA

    For Volodymyr Zelensky, getting the US president on board with security guarantees is an important achievement, but the focus now will be on trilateral talks with the US and Russia that are set to take place in the United Arab Emirates.

    Trump envoy Steve Witkoff says he'll head to Abu Dhabi from Moscow and Zelensky's already named his team to take part which includes his top officials.

    Witkoff is optimistic the one big issue dividing the two sides is "solvable" - and Zelensky has confirmed it's "all about the land" in eastern Ukraine. Will Putin agree to the US plan for a demilitarised, free-trade zone in Donbas or will he continue to demand Russian control?

    The pace of diplomacy has clearly accelerated, but those US security guarantees won't be signed any time soon. Zelensky says they'll have to be ratified first by the US Congress and Ukrainian parliament.

    And we don't yet know what they involve - Kyiv wanted up to 50 years of iron-clad US commitment to come to Ukraine's aid if it comes under attack. That was always optimistic.

    But Zelensky is convinced that without a Trump "backstop", the Coalition of the Willing led by the UK and France will not be enough.

  10. Ukrainian MP 'pessimistic' Russia will agree to security guaranteespublished at 18:23 GMT 22 January

    Anastasiia Levchenko
    BBC Ukraine producer, in Kyiv

    Ukraine has been insisting on the signing of security guarantees for almost four years.

    According to Ukrainian officials, these guarantees would not only stop the war but also prevent its recurrence.

    Ukrainian MP Andrii Osadchuk tells the BBC that news the guarantees have been agreed upon and need to be signed is good, but “the American side will only sign any significant documents if the overall framework of post-war agreements in Ukraine is agreed with the Russian Federation".

    But Osadchuk also notes that since Putin has shown signs he's interested in continuing the war, he is “pessimistic" that the security guarantees will be "finalised" soon or even "agreed upon by the parties".

    • As a reminder, Zelensky said the document on security guarantees still needs to be "signed by the sides, the presidents, and then will go to national parliaments"
  11. Greenland, Trump's Board of Peace and Ukraine - the day at Davospublished at 18:10 GMT 22 January

    U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, next to Indonesia's President Prabowo SubiantoImage source, Reuters

    It's been a heavy day of diplomacy in Davos, Switzerland, where world leaders have been meeting for the annual World Economic Forum. Here's a quick look at today's main lines:

    Greenland

    There was plenty of relief in Europe this morning after Trump last night appeared to back away from his position that the US must acquire Greenland, after agreeing a "framework of a future deal" with Nato Secretary Mark Rutte.

    Little detail has emerged since on what that framework might entail. Nato Military Committee chair Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone said the deal is at a "very early stage", adding "we are still waiting on direction". In an interview with Fox Business, Trump said it would allow "total access", and "we're getting everything we want at no cost".

    Board of Peace

    Trump launched his new Board of Peace at a signing ceremony with global leaders including Argentina's Javier Milei and Hungary's Viktor Orban.

    The board was originally conceived of as a way to implement part of the Gaza ceasefire plan. But Trump and his officials suggested it will work on a range of global issues, with the US president saying it has the potential to be "one of the most consequential bodies ever created".

    Ukraine

    The US president then met with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. After the meeting, Zelensky told reporters the pair has agreed that a document on the issue of security guarantees was "done" - but it still needs to be signed and go to "national parliaments".

    And in a stern address to Davos delegates, Zelensky said that Europe too often avoids "action", calling on it to do more to "protect itself".

  12. Zelensky thanks Macron after oil tanker seizedpublished at 17:49 GMT 22 January

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked French President Emmanuel Macron after he announced that the French Navy - in partnership with the UK - had seized an oil tanker coming from Russia in the Mediterranean Sea.

    "This is exactly the kind of resolve needed to ensure that Russian oil no longer finances Russia’s war," Zelensky writes on X.

    "Russian tankers operating near European shores must be stopped", he adds.

    "Sanctions against the entire infrastructure of the shadow fleet must be tough."

  13. Why security guarantees are vital for Ukrainepublished at 17:27 GMT 22 January

    Zelensky and TrumpImage source, EPA/Shutterstock

    Security guarantees for Ukraine have been one of the key sticking points of the negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States.

    Ukraine wants solid commitments that, if a peace deal is reached, its allies will help deter any possible future Russia invasion.

    Zelensky has repeatedly hammered home the fact that Kyiv needs security guarantees from the US before any decisions can be made on the other contentious issues, such as territory.

    The UK and France have already committed to send some troops to Ukraine in "military hubs" in the event of a ceasefire, as part of their so-called "Coalition of the Willing".

    On 29 December, Zelensky announced that the US had offered Ukraine security guarantees "for 15 years" following talks on a revised peace plan in Florida.

    The Ukrainian president now says the document is "done". However - it is yet to be made public, or ratified by the respective parliaments.

  14. Zelensky says document on security guarantees is 'done' after US meetingpublished at 16:41 GMT 22 January
    Breaking

    Media caption,

    Zelensky: On security guarantees, the document is done

    Zelensky has been speaking to reporters at Davos, and says a document with the US dealing with the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine is "done".

    In a conversation today with the US team, which included Trump, he says they agreed a document on security guarantees.

    He says "we need to sign" but "it will come only after the war will stop".

    Asked if he has got a deal on security guarantees, Zelensky says no, they have "finished with the document" and it has to now be "signed by the sides, by the presidents, and then will go to national parliaments".

  15. Nobody but Greenland and Denmark can make deal about Greenland's future, says PMpublished at 16:35 GMT 22 January

    Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen answers a first question from CNN on whether Greenland is safe from the threat of US ownership.

    He says that nobody other than Greenland and Denmark have the mandate to make deals or agreements about Greenland.

    The prime minister says he doesn't know what is "concrete" in the deal, but that he's ready to cooperate and have more talks "working on a solution for both parties".

    "We are ready to cooperate more in economics," he says, "but that's something we have to talk about in mutual respect".

    "As I hear it, the will to own Greenland was still a part of the rhetoric yesterday," Nielsen says.

  16. Greenland chooses 'the Greenland we know today,' PM sayspublished at 16:26 GMT 22 January

    Greenlandic prime minsiter giving a news conference. Jens-Frederik Nielson wears a black blazer with a red and white badge, he is speaking into a microphoneImage source, EPA

    Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen says the country chooses "the Greenland we know today".

    Speaking at a news conference, he says "as part of the Kingdom of Denmark, we have developed our society, our democracy and country... under the framework of the Kingdom of Denmark and the Nato alliance".

    "We have obtained self rule, our right to self determination within the framework. It must continue," he says.

    Referring to the demonstrations over the weekend when thousands protested in the capital, Nuuk, Nielsen explains they were not "against the USA".

    "It was not a demonstration against our long lasting friendship or close co-operation. It was against disrespect for international rule of law, democracy and our right to self determination," he says.

    "We have, and will continue to seek respectful dialogue through diplomacy and normal channels," he concludes, before taking questions.

  17. 'There's still a lot of work to do to get to a safe place,' says Greenland foreign ministerpublished at 16:21 GMT 22 January

    Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt holding a Greenland flag as speaks into a microphone. She's wearing wintry layers and a thick coatImage source, Getty Images

    Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt says the recent developments at the World Economic Forum have been positive.

    In a statement originally in Danish, she says that Nato is not negotiating on behalf of Greenland - and that no official agreement will be reached without the participation of the government.

    However, she adds that Nato's Secretary General Mark Rutte has briefed US President Donald Trump directly on the need to respect the territory's position and borders.

    She says there's still a lot of work to do to get to a safe place.

  18. Angry and bristling Zelensky points out little has changed in a yearpublished at 16:03 GMT 22 January

    Anastasiia Levchenko
    BBC Ukraine producer, in Kyiv

    He compared the situation back home in Ukraine to the US movie classic Groundhog Day. Four years of struggle, in a situation for many Ukrainians which doesn’t change.

    But President Zelensky could have used the same analogy for his speech today in Davos.

    It was an angry, bristling president who pointed out that little had changed since he stood on the same stage last year, giving a version of the same speech.

    The Ukrainian leader has displayed many different tones throughout thousands of speeches since Russia’s full scale invasion in February 2022.

    This afternoon, his direct manner seemed to some to be of a man losing patience. Zelensky had never intended to be at the World Economic Forum at all.

    Facing a major energy crisis at home, he pledged earlier in the week to stay in Kyiv to help the effort to reconnect power to thousands of homes freezing under Russia’s continuing bombardment.

    But yesterday, he changed plans when Trump announced to the world the two would meet - a meeting that took place just minutes before Zelensky took to the stage.

    His Davos speech was directly critical of what Zelensky sees as Europe’s inaction and weakness.

    He will be heading back to Kyiv this evening, presumably hoping that by this time next year something has changed to Ukraine’s benefit.

    But his angry performance on the Davos stage gave the impression of a man who feels like his pleas for assistance have been repeatedly ignored.

  19. France intercept sanctioned tanker from Russia, Macron says, with support from UKpublished at 15:46 GMT 22 January
    Breaking

    French President Emmanuel Macron says the French Navy this morning boarded a sanctioned oil tanker coming from Russia "and suspected of flying a false flag".

    Announcing the operation on X, Macron says the vessel was intercepted in the Mediterranean with the help of several allies, which the French Navy have since confirmed includes the UK.

    "We are determined to uphold international law and to ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions. The activities of the “shadow fleet” contribute to financing the war of aggression against Ukraine," Macron says.

    He says a judicial investigation has been launched and the tanker has been diverted, though doesn't say to where.

    A tanker in the sea.Image source, Marine Nationale
  20. What Zelensky told world leaders in Davos - a recappublished at 15:37 GMT 22 January

    A general view of Zelensky speaking at the World Economic ForumImage source, AFP

    If you're just joining us, this afternoon we have heard from Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos - here's a recap of the key lines:

    Groundhog Day: Zelensky started his speech by mentioning the film where the lead character lives his life by repeating the same day over and over again. "That is how we live now,” he says, alluding to the diplomatic attempts to end the war.

    Europe needs to protect itself, he says, but Europe sending 40 soldiers to Greenland won't make a difference. He adds: "What messages does it send to Putin, to China."

    Europe's weakness: He says that instead of standing together against Russia, instead of becoming a truly global power, Europe remains a "fragmented kaleidoscope of small and middle powers". Zelensky also criticises Europe and the US for not stopping companies from selling missile components to Russia.

    Frozen assets: He thanks leaders for freezing Russian assets but says when the time came to use them to defend Ukraine, it was blocked.

    Security guarantees: Zelensky says "the backstop of President Trump is needed".

    Ending the war: Documents aimed at ending the war "are nearly ready" following Zelensky's meeting with US President Donald Trump.

    Trilateral meeting: Zelensky's team will hold a meeting with the US team and Russia in the United Arab Emirates from tomorrow. He says Russia has to be ready for compromises.