Trump's speech and negotiations on Ukraine: Key events at Davos Forum 2026

Key statements:

• When and where: January 19–23, 2026, Davos-Klosters (Switzerland)

• Forum theme: “The spirit of dialogue”

• Participants: More than 400 political leaders, including nearly 65 heads of state and government and six G7 leaders, as well as about 850 executives of major global companies

• Trump’s speech: January 21, a special address to forum participants

• Ukraine: Represented by a top-level delegation, with talks planned with US officials

• Key topics: Economic and geopolitical challenges, technological innovation, the new world order, peace talks on Ukraine, and security guarantees

• Live coverage: More than 200 events will be streamed live and covered on WEF social media under the hashtag #WEF26

World Economic Forum in Davos 2026: what we know

The 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum will take place from January 19 to 23, 2026, at the alpine resort of Davos-Klosters in Switzerland.

The forum will be held under the slogan “The spirit of dialogue” and will bring together leaders from business, governments, international organizations, civil society, and academia.

Around 3,000 participants from more than 130 countries are expected, making it one of the largest gatherings in the forum’s history.

Who will attend:

• About 400 leading political figures, including nearly 65 heads of state and government

• Six G7 leaders

• Nearly 850 CEOs and chairpersons of leading global companies

This represents a record level of participation from both governments and business.

Main focus areas:

• Key economic and geopolitical challenges

• Technological change and the unprecedented pace of innovation

• The role of science and industry in reshaping the global order

The forum will serve as a platform to discuss the forces transforming the global landscape.

More than 200 sessions will be broadcast live, allowing a global audience to follow the event. Davos 2026 will also be covered on social media using the hashtag #WEF26.

Forum program: daily highlights

January 19

The official opening of the World Economic Forum 2026 will take place today. The forum will begin with an opening concert scheduled for 6:00–7:00 p.m. local time (19:00–20:00 Kyiv time).

The opening ceremony will feature Grammy Award–winning musician Jon Batiste, renowned violinist Renaud Capuçon, and the Gustav Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

January 20

• Special address by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, 10:50–11:20 a.m. (11:50–12:20 Kyiv time)

A session on rethinking Europe’s place in the world will feature:

• Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda

• Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković

• Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever

Scheduled for 1:00–1:45 p.m. (2:00–2:45 p.m. Kyiv time).

• Special address by French President Emmanuel Macron, 2:00–2:30 p.m. (3:00–3:30 p.m. Kyiv time)

• US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, 2:30–3:00 p.m. (3:30–4:00 p.m. Kyiv time)

• Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, 3:30–4:00 p.m. (4:30–5:00 p.m.Kyiv time)

• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney,4:30–5:00 p.m. (5:30–6:00 p.m. Kyiv time)

Also scheduled is a session titled “The path to peace in Ukraine: through force or consensus?” Participants will discuss whether a fair and lasting peace deal is possible, what security guarantees Ukraine could receive, and what Kyiv aims to achieve with its partners on and off the battlefield.

Speakers include:

• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha

• Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen

• Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand

• US Republican Senator Thom Tillis

January 21

• Special address by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, 09:30–10:00 a.m. (10:30–11:00 a.m. Kyiv time)

• Special address by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, 10:00–10:30 a.m. (11:00–11:30 a.m. Kyiv time)

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also take part in discussions at the same time

A session titled “Can Europe defend itself?” will take place at 10:15–11:00 a.m. (11:15–12:00 a.m. Kyiv time), featuring:

• NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte

• Polish President Karol Nawrocki

• European Investment Bank President Nadia Calviño

• Finnish President Alexander Stubb

• Address by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, 11:00–11:30 a.m. (12:00–12:30 p.m. Kyiv time)

• Special address by US President Donald Trump, 2:30–3:15 p.m. (3:30–4:15 p.m. Kyiv time)

January 22

• Conversation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, 09:00–09:30 (10:00–10:30 Kyiv time)

• Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, 10:30–11:00 (11:30–12:00 Kyiv time)

• Special address by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, 11:30–12:00 (12:30–13:00 Kyiv time)

• Finnish President Alexander Stubb on “Restoring balance in the new world order,” 12:30–13:00 (13:30–14:00 Kyiv time)

• Conversation with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, 15:00–15:30 (16:00–16:30 Kyiv time)

January 23

• Jane Harman, chair of the US National Defense Strategy Commission, will present a forecast of geopolitical risks for 2026, 09:00–09:45 (10:00–10:45 Kyiv time)

Will Russia attend Davos for the first time since 2022?

According to Reuters, citing two sources, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and a special envoy of the Kremlin leader, will travel to Davos to meet with US delegations on the sidelines of the forum.

Notably, representatives of the aggressor state—from either politics or business—have not participated in the World Economic Forum since 2022.

Ukraine’s participation at WEF 2026

According to Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine will be represented by a top-level delegation. The focus will be on Ukraine’s recovery, protecting its energy sector, and securing security guarantees.

Contacts with the US side are also planned.

The Financial Times, citing four senior officials familiar with the matter, reports that G7 leaders will seek to persuade Trump to support security guarantees for Ukraine during the forum.

On January 21, leaders of Italy, Germany, France, Canada, the UK, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to meet with US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to The Independent, both Trump and Zelenskyy will attend the Davos summit, though the White House says there are currently no plans for a bilateral meeting.

However, Zelenskyy has not ruled out that Ukraine and the US could sign an $800 billion reconstruction agreement in Davos.

Recently, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov, and parliamentary faction leader Davyd Arakhamia held consultations in the US with special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, and White House official Josh Gruenbaum.

They discussed Ukraine’s economic development, reconstruction plans, and security guarantees, focusing on practical implementation mechanisms. The Ukrainian delegation also briefed US officials on recent Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

The sides agreed to continue work at the team level during the next round of consultations in Davos.