A Ukrainian delegation has arrived in the United States to discuss a Trump administration peace plan while Russia again pounds Ukraine’s power grid in the dead of winter. That pairing tells the story better than any slogan. On one side, a White House trying to turn a battlefield stalemate into negotiated terms. On the other, Vladimir Putin using energy strikes to freeze civilians in the dark and gain leverage at the table.
According to Ukrainian and U.S. officials, Kyiv’s envoys are in the United States to work through the details of a procurement that would cover postwar security guarantees and economic recovery, with a potential signing in Davos if Washington signs off. Trump is expected to attend, underscoring that this is not a side show but a central test of his foreign policy in a second term. Any deal will still require Moscow’s consent, which means whatever is written on paper must be backed by hard power and sustained pressure, not wishful thinking.
The Ukrainian delegation is already in the United States. Their main task is to present the full and accurate picture of what Russian strikes are causing.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 17, 2026
Among the consequences of this terror is the discrediting of the diplomatic process: people lose faith in diplomacy, and… pic.twitter.com/FvMtNxAFyJ
While diplomats talk, Russia has not paused the war. Ukrainian officials report hundreds of strikes on energy facilities over the past year, with more than 20 communities around Kyiv recently losing power in subzero temperatures. This is deliberate. Kyiv calls it “weaponizing winter” because the targets are not tanks but transformers, hospitals, and homes. It is a reminder that Russia’s strategy has not changed: break the will of the Ukrainian public by making daily life unbearable.
Arrived in the United States.
— Kyrylo Budanov (@Kyrylo_Budanov) January 17, 2026
Together with Rustem Umerov and Davyd Arakhamiia, we will have an important conversation with our American partners regarding the details of a peace agreement.
A joint meeting with Steven Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Daniel Driscoll is scheduled.…
That reality should shape how the talks are viewed. This is not about chasing an abstract “peace process” for its own sake. It is about forcing Russia to accept terms that stop the attacks on civilians and prevent a replay two or three years down the road. A bad agreement that blesses Russian control, weakens Ukraine’s defenses, and asks taxpayers to fund another fragile status quo would simply invite the next invasion.
Tomorrow in Miami, 🇺🇦🇺🇸 negotiation teams will have another round of discussions. The Ukrainian delegation includes NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov, Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Budanov, and Davyd Arakhamia, MP, Chairman of the Servant of the People parliamentary…
— Olga Stefanishyna (@StefanishynaO) January 16, 2026
SEE ALSO: New Attacks Shake Kyiv Just Ahead of Zelensky's High-Stakes Meeting With Trump
Trump enters this moment with leverage that did not exist under previous leadership. Moscow has publicly signaled it agrees with his criticism that Kyiv has been slow to embrace a deal, which means the Kremlin takes his role seriously even as it keeps bombing infrastructure. That is useful leverage only if Washington couples it with clear red lines. Any plan must include tough conditions on Russia’s future conduct, credible enforcement, and serious oversight of reconstruction aid so the money serves U.S. interests and Ukrainian stability, not oligarchic networks.
For Ukraine, the priority is simple but not easy. Security guarantees must be strong enough to deter another assault, and energy resilience must be rebuilt so that “weaponizing winter” fails if Moscow tries it again. For the United States, the goal should be a Europe that is more stable, less dependent on Russian energy, and more capable of carrying its share of the burden.
Peace, if it comes, should not be sold as charity. It should be presented as a negotiated outcome that punishes aggression, protects civilians, and reduces the long term cost and risk to American power. Done right, this round of talks could be a step toward that outcome. Done wrong, it will be just another document signed under cold fluorescent lights while the lights stay off in Kyiv.
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