The released footage shows U.S. President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff introducing Gruenbaum to Putin. Also taking part in the meeting were Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and special envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Gruenbaum previously took part in talks with Dmitriev in December 2025 in Miami and was also present at a meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He is also a senior adviser to the executive committee of the Trump-initiated Peace Council.
U.S. President Donald Trump said during his speech at the World Economic Forum that reaching a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia is now “quite close.” If Kyiv and Moscow fail to do so, “they’re fools,” Trump said.
Earlier, Witkoff and Jared Kushner met on the sidelines of Davos with Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev.
The U.S. special envoy added that he would then travel to Moscow and immediately afterward to Abu Dhabi, where working groups would discuss military issues and “prosperity matters.”
On Jan. 22, the Ukrainian president said the first trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the United States and Russia would take place in the United Arab Emirates on Jan. 23 and 24.
“I think the first trilateral meeting will be in the Emirates. I think it will be tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. I hope the Emirates are aware of this — we sometimes have such surprises from the American side,” Zelenskyy said.