Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 16, 2024 (Sky)

Tuesday’s Coverage: Zelensky Announces “New Approach to Air Defenses”

UPDATE 0804 GMT:

Vladimir Putin’s top financial advisor Kirill Dmitriev has conferred with Donald Trump’s envoys, real estate developer Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, at the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

An American official said the meeting was about two hours. Both sides said it was “constructive”. Dmitriev insisted that “more and more people are understanding the correctness” of Russia’s position, while Witkoff described the session as “very positive”.

Neither side gave details, including about the status of the Ukraine-Europe proposals to end Russia’s 4-year full-scale invasion. Instead, Dmitriev shared a graphic on social media about the “collapse of globalism” and the “end of the new world order”.

In late October, the three men crafted a 28-point ultimatum to Ukraine to give up territory and keep itself permanently weak. However, Kyiv and Europe pushed back the initiative with counter-proposals.

Earlier this month, Ukraine and Europe obtained US agreement to participate in security guarantees for Kyiv. The documents also propose a demilitarized, free economic zone in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, rather than handing it over to Russia.

The Kremlin has already said the proposals are unacceptable, demanding that they have all of Donetsk and that there are no effective security guarantees for Kyiv.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he will not attend the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland unless there are discussions about air defenses against Russia’s missile and drone strikes.

Claims circulated earlier this month that Zelensky would see Donald Trump, who is speaking in Davos today, to announce an $800 billion recovery and reconstruction initiative for Ukraine.

However, this has been overtaken by the intensity of Russia’s strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, cutting power and heat to many civilians amid freezing temperatures. Zelensky declared an emergency in the energy sector on January 14.

In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky said:

Ukraine Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced an upgrade of drone production, with a domestic replacement for the Chinese-made DJI Mavic drone.

The Mavic is used widely for aerial reconnaissance on the frontlines by both Ukraine and Russia. Fedorov said, “We will have our own Mavic analogue: the same camera, but with a longer flight range.”

The Defense Minister also promised a data-driven overhaul of Ukraine’s military to reward commanders achieving results on the battlefield. He said he will begin with “the mathematics of war” to overhaul the Defense Ministry’s management and spending. A mission control system for drone flights and for artillery crews will provide more data about crews’ performance and effectiveness.

Ukraine will also establish a system for allies to train their military with artificial intelligence models based on Kyiv’s combat data and millions of hours of drone video.