Steve Witkoff Talks Greenland, Iran, Ukraine

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Now let's go to Damos, where Bloomberg's Ari Hordarn is standing by Henri.

Thank you so much, Vonnie.

I'm now joined by, of course, the Special Envoy for peace negotiations the Middle East. Is portfolios has expanded as well to what's going.

On in Ukraine, Steve Wikoff. Thank you so much for joining us here.

Oh it's my pleasure. Thanks for having me.

So this Davos.

I thought i'd start with you talking about your portfolio, Russia, the Middle East. You successfully negotiated peace in Gaza, but we first have to talk about this elephant in the room when it comes to Greenland.

What's the thinking behind this?

Well, I think the President feels, as many other presidents before him have indicated, that it's of strategic significance, importance. It's just strategically critical and we're in the best position to defend it against adversaries and enemies.

And I agree with that position.

It's just the president's talking about if he doesn't get Greenland, it's going to be tariffs on the Europeans.

At the same time, they're trying to bring the Europeans on.

Board to get an agreement on their soil, on their continent in Ukraine.

Does it make your job more challenging?

No, he makes my job easier. Actually, i'm his emissary and he sets the table pretty good for people like me.

Do you think there'll be an off ramp on Greenland? What are the conversations like right now?

I think the President is an incredible negotiator, so he'll get to the right place.

And those negotiations could potentially take place here in Davos.

I think there'll be some discussions here.

Do you think a lot of leaders are going to show up to the Board of Peace event because Manu Malcrana is left Vonderlines leaving, They're all going to have an emergency summit on Greenland.

You know, we've got twenty or maybe twenty five leaders who have already said yes, this is not such an easy place to get to. They've already said yes. I think you're going to see an overwhelming response. We have many people who we weren't sure if they were going to We even want to get invitation. Now the calling up for invitation, so everyone wants to be a part of this. What we're going to do here, what the President is going to do here will be it'll be game changing for the world.

How have you pushed the ball forward when it comes to Ukraine talks here? I know Kerl Dmitriev was here on the ground. Yes, she was tweeting about how the talks went.

Well.

He's a tweeter, can you yeah, he is, He follows me.

Can you give us some insight into if the talks are going well?

Where are we at this moment? What is the state of play?

Well?

The Ukrainians have said that when ninety percent done, and I agree with them. In fact, I think that we've made even more significant improvement over this past weekend. We were meeting with Kirol Boutonoff, who is of course the new vice president, ran military intelligence for them. They're head of the Parliament, David and with Ruster Mumarov, and we made even moose progress during those meetings in Miami this past week. I'll be with them tonight and I think

So do you think we are close to the final ten percent of this deal?

Do you think this will get done the.

Next few weeks final ten percent? I don't know about the next few weeks, but I know we've made more progress in the last six or seven weeks since Geneva then we've made according to the Ukrainians now I'm going to use there what they say. According to the Ukrainians, more progress than in the last three or four years.

We've seen Russia continue their attack, especially in critical infrastructure, most recently energy infrastructure, leaving thousands, maybe millions of Ukrainians without power, without heat. Do you think Puchin is truly here for a peace deal?

Well, first of all, they're in a war, and so they're shooting at each other, and we don't condone that.

I mean, we think it's unfortunate.

That's why the President and me at the President with Jared at the residence direction, while working so hard for the piece, we hope that will occur. We think people, you're right, are suffering on both sides. It's cold there and not to have heat is terrible, and we've got to correct.

All of these things.

But a peace deal corrects it, and the President is focused on that piece deal. It's a very very important important part of his agenda from a foreign policy standpoint.

But do you think Putin is there or is he just dragging negotiations on for the sake of it.

I think that they've asked for the meeting. The Russians have invited us to come, and that's a significant statement from them, And Kirol was here yesterday and working on this with us. So I think everybody is embedded in the process and wants to see a peace deal happen.

If we do not get to a peace deal, what does the tool kit look like in terms of potentially more punishments on Russia? I know I've spoken to a lot of CEOs which said it was a pretty big deal. The President went after Luke Oil and Roysnaft. What other measures you think we could see?

Well, if a peace steel happens.

If it doesn't happen, Oh, if it doesn't happen, okay, Well we've sanctioned them quite a bit. And I'm not sure what the President's game plan would be if it doesn't happen. I think if it doesn't happen, a lot depends on who he thinks is responsible for it not happening.

Right now, we have people working together.

We're trying to build consensus, We're trying to build unanimity of opinion. We've sent an invitation out to President Putin to join the board a piece, the same thing with President Zelenski. So let's hope. I want to choose to be an optimist here. I think we're going to get a positive response from both. I believe that if.

There is a peace agreement, what are you hearing from Corporate America and even European CEOs about rebuilding Ukraine and even going back and doing business in Russia. All of them had a presence there and then they fled at the start of the war.

We have told Ukraine that we think that their GDP, their economy can triple over the next year. That's an assessment by the way, by Blackrock, who is working on this and Larry Finks here. Now they have done an exceptional job, by the way, with our staff, but we have told them that disguise the limit for.

Their economy, and we believe that.

I think that could be the secret sauce here, not just a peace deal, but aspirationally a better world and a better life for the Ukrainian people who have sacrificed so much, and for the Russian people as well.

I want to also ask you about your other big focus, which of course is the Middle East, and what is going on with Iran. Have you had backchannel discussions with the Iranians, either directly or through the Omani's.

Well, the President has indicated that there have been some discussions, and that's what resulted in the Iranian statement that the killings will stop.

Do you believe them the killings will stop?

Well, there's been a lot of killings and there's terror and that's terribly unfortunate and horrific. That's a good word because it is horrific. These people were defenseless. They were just coming out into the stream saying, we want to change. You shouldn't be killed for expressing a viewpoint that you want changes so Iran.

Iran needs to change its ways.

They need to do that. And if they do, if they indicate that they're willing to do that, I think we can diplomatically settle this.

Have you gotten this sense from this outreach that that is the path they want to solve this in a diplomatic way.

We don't have that sense yet we would have. I mean, I think a right the foreign minister was supposed to be here, couldn't come, or was even maybe disinvited.

I'm not sure. I was actually looking.

You'd be appropriate for him to come here given the level.

Of well, I was looking forward to killings Well.

I was looking forward to meeting him because I think it's we need to build that communication channel. We have to because the alternative to that is not a good alternative.

Do you have plans?

I know you're going to Moscow, then you said you're going to go to the United Arab Emirates. Yes, Do you have plants to potentially meet the Iranian Foreign minister in the next few weeks or months.

We don't have a plan, but I think we're moving in a direction where we could have that conversation, if they're willing to have that conversation.

I just want to end on what a year it's been.

You're literally at the epicenter of massive seismic geopolitical shifts. You are very successful when it comes to Gaza, You're now dealing with a very hot topic when it comes to Iran. These negotiations continue to grind on on Ukraine.

What has been so challenging.

Well, first of all, we have a great administration. We have an amazing team. We have the ultimate boss, President Trump, and he sets the table for all of us. But Marco Rubio has been amazing too. I get to work with the State Department with an incredible array of talented people, and my job is now made even more easier because Jared Is and I are doing so much together. So the President is focused on solutions. He's focused on cleaning

You don't strike me as you're preparing for an invasion of Greenland, though, So it sounds like potentially that could be soft here at Davos.

Could you tell us what the President's going to say?

Well, I don't know what he's going to say, and I wouldn't presume to speak for him, but I think what he's going to tell I think his feeling is that this is a strategic asset, and we have to make sure it's defended. And Denmok cannot defend it in an adequate and inadequate way as compared to how the United States can defend it.

And just for logistics, as far as you're concerned, the President looks to me, maybe on time now, catching up some speed.

I think so okay, well think so you.

Look forward to your speech. I mean, thank you for your time. Thank you know you're incredibly busy. Tons of negotiations on the sideline here at the World Economic Forum. Of course, that was the President's Special ENVOYE. Seve Wikoff,