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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to meet U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich on Friday amid rising concerns over Donald Trump’s surprise peace negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump announced Wednesday that he had a "highly productive" call with Putin, agreeing to start peace talks immediately. The move has alarmed European leaders, who fear a deal that favors Russia and threatens regional security. Trump later briefed Zelenskiy, who responded cautiously, warning against trusting Putin’s claims of readiness to end the war.
Zelenskiy faces a challenge in securing strong U.S. support, as Vance has previously voiced skepticism about aid to Ukraine. In 2022, Vance stated he "didn’t really care" about Ukraine, and at last year’s Munich Security Conference, he suggested U.S. priorities lie elsewhere.
Trump’s talks with Putin mark a dramatic shift in U.S. policy, breaking from the Biden administration’s stance of isolating Russia since its 2022 invasion. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added to concerns by suggesting Ukraine may need to abandon goals such as reclaiming pre-2014 borders and NATO membership.
Trump stated that U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Munich on Friday, with Ukraine invited, though Kyiv does not anticipate direct talks with Russia. The Munich Security Conference, a key diplomatic event, will proceed without Russian representatives, though unofficial meetings could occur.
The conference begins amid heightened tensions in Munich after an Afghan asylum seeker drove a car into a crowd in a suspected attack. The incident comes just ahead of Germany’s February 23 national elections, where security and migration are top issues.
