Egypt Daily News – After meeting with US Vice President James David Vance on Friday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Kyiv is ready for peace.
Zelensky, after his meeting with Vance, said, “We are ready for peace.” He also stated that his American counterpart, Donald Trump, “supports us, and we need more discussion and action.” For his part, Vance described the meeting with Zelenskyy as “good” and said, “We will work towards a responsible end to the war in Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy is still waiting for an invitation to Washington for discussions with Trump but stressed that he is prepared at any time. The Ukrainian president also recognized that substantial work remains, as no treaties can be finalized in Munich.
“A peace treaty cannot be signed in Munich because this is Munich, and we remember what was signed here in the past,” Zelenskyy stated during Friday’s panel, alluding to the 1938 Munich Agreement that permitted Nazi Germany to seize the Sudetenland.
Shock over Trump-Putin Call
The Munich Security Conference, the annual gathering of global defense and diplomatic leaders, is taking place from February 14 to 16, with the Russia-Ukraine war dominating discussions. Europe remains in shock after Trump announced that he had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, signaling his intent to handle the matter bilaterally, according to AFP.
With no prior consultation, many European countries fear being sidelined in efforts to reach a settlement and worry that such a settlement could come at Kyiv’s expense.
Red Lines
The United States has already outlined its red lines, ruling out immediate concessions to Moscow. It has stated, for example, that Ukraine’s NATO membership is unrealistic and has rejected any US military deployment as part of a peaceful settlement in Ukraine.
At the same time, Washington is urging Europeans to take on the primary burden of supporting Ukraine from now on, while demanding that Moscow consider its security interests.
Zelenskyy insists on agreeing on a “joint plan” among the allies before meeting with Putin face-to-face
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Kyiv and its allies must agree on a plan for ending the war before he would be ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin face-to-face.
Speaking in English, Zelenskyy stated, “I will meet only one Russian official—Putin, and (that will not happen) unless a joint plan is reached with Trump and Europe. We will sit down with Putin and stop the war. Only in this case am I ready to meet.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Friday that the only Russian official he is prepared to speak with is President Vladimir Putin—and only after Ukraine agrees on a joint plan with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy revealed that Trump had given him his personal phone number, assuring him that he could call at any time.
“I will meet only one Russian official—Putin, and (that will not happen) unless a joint plan is reached with Trump and Europe. We will sit down with Putin and stop the war. Only in this case am I ready to meet,” Zelenskyy said in English.
Reaffirming his stance at the Munich Security Conference, he stated, “I will meet the Russians—only one Russian, Putin—only after we reach a joint plan with Trump and Europe,” adding, “We will sit down with Putin and stop the war. Only in this case am I ready to meet.”
Prior to this statement, Zelenskyy had emphasized his readiness for direct talks with Russia as soon as Kyiv reaches a unified position with the U.S. and Europe on how to end the three-year-long war.
“We are ready for any discussions with the Americans and our allies,” he said. “If they provide us with concrete answers to specific requests and a shared understanding of the danger posed by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, then… we will be ready to talk with the Russians.
