Despite Kyiv's expectations, full-fledged negotiations between the Ukrainian side and Donald Trump in Davos did not actually take place. According to sources from the President's Office, the contact was limited to a tough political signal, which was perceived in Kyiv as another ultimatum, not as the beginning of a dialogue.
According to the interlocutors, the expectation of a substantive conversation on security support for Ukraine did not come true. In particular, Volodymyr Zelensky's request for additional missiles for air defense systems remained unanswered. The American side did not give any commitments and did not offer alternative solutions.
Bankova admits that the format of the meetings in Davos rather demonstrated a change in Washington's approach. Ukrainian arguments about the critical need for air defense were not discussed, but instead Kyiv was given a political framework within which it should act in the future.
According to sources, this was not about support in wartime, but about demands, the fulfillment of which is considered a prerequisite for any future agreements. Such a tone was perceived in Kyiv as a signal of cooling relations and a transition to a tougher model of pressure.
What was particularly irritating was that the issue of protecting Ukrainian skies had virtually fallen off the agenda. In a situation of constant missile attacks, the lack of a response to a request for air defense was seen as a political gesture, not a technical pause.
The President's Office does not hide that the results of Davos were a cold shower. They expected at least symbolic signals of support, but instead they received a clear understanding: in the near future, Ukraine will have to prepare for more difficult negotiations and tougher conditions.
