The essentials
• An escalation for several months. Nearly three years after the Russian invasion, kyiv and Moscow have intensified their strikes in recent months, seeking to improve their positions before Donald Trump’s return to the White House which takes place this Monday, January 20.
• Volodymyr Zelensky in Switzerland. The Ukrainian president will speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday. The enthusiasm is, however, slightly less great than last year, when the organization of a conference for peace in Ukraine in Switzerland was taking shape.
• The time of alliances. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Massoud Pezeshkian signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership” in Russia on Friday, presented as a new stage in the growing alliance between the two countries. On Thursday, Ukraine and the United Kingdom signed a bilateral treaty.
• Towards a Trump-Putin meeting in Switzerland? The American president-elect wants a meeting with the Russian president to “end” the war in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin said he was “open to contact”. Bern says all parties are informed of its availability to host peace meetings, but Switzerland will not take the initiative.
