US President Donald Trump suggested on January 21 that additional sanctions on Russia were “likely” if President Vladimir Putin continued to resist peace talks. His statement came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a more aggressive European stance in the conflict with Russia.
During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Zelensky proposed a significant international troop presence in Ukraine to enforce a potential ceasefire, highlighting the need for stronger European involvement. Trump, however, expressed a willingness to engage directly with both Zelensky and Putin. “We’re talking to Zelensky and we’ll be speaking with Putin soon to see how things unfold,” Trump remarked, adding that peace would require cooperation on all sides.
While open to reassessing the US’s arms support to Ukraine, Trump emphasized the importance of dialogue. “Zelensky wants peace but it takes two to tango,” he said. Trump also urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to take a more active role in resolving the conflict, pointing out that Xi’s influence could be crucial. “I told him he should get involved because he hasn’t done much so far and he has significant influence,” Trump noted.
Zelensky, meanwhile, continued his push for European action, insisting that at least 200,000 international peacekeepers be deployed to Ukraine for a meaningful ceasefire. “Anything less would be meaningless,” he stated during his press conference at the WEF. Reports indicated that the UK and France were considering contributing troops if a ceasefire took place, a move Zelensky strongly supported as essential for lasting peace.
However, Zelensky also warned that failure to act could embolden Russia. He predicted that Putin could mobilize up to two million troops for future offensives against NATO. “Without solid security guarantees — be it NATO membership or a military presence and long-range weapons — Putin will return with an army ten times larger than in 2022,” Zelensky asserted.
Moscow rejected Zelensky’s demands for international military deployments, calling them provocative. Putin, for his part, reaffirmed that NATO’s proximity to Russia’s borders represented a direct threat. “We cannot allow our security to be compromised by foreign powers exploiting Ukraine as a staging ground for their ambitions,” Putin stated in a recent address.
Zelensky countered, insisting that Russia’s actions were unjustifiable, regardless of any claims to the contrary. “Russia is the invader. There’s no justification for their actions and no amount of propaganda will change that,” he declared.
