Presidentʼs Office: Talks with Russians in Munich are not expected

The Office of the President of Ukraine does not foresee any communication with Russian representatives at the Munich Security Conference. The US President Donald Trump previously informed about its possibility. The Office of the President emphasized that Kyivʼs position on the resolution of the war remains unchanged.

This was stated by the presidential advisor on communications Dmytro Lytvyn.

"Ukraine should first talk to America. Europe should be a participant in any serious conversation for the sake of real and lasting peace. And only an agreed common position should be on the table for talking with the Russians," Lytvyn is convinced.

In his opinion, they donʼt meet with Russians at an empty table, and now "thereʼs nothing on the table".

During his conversation with Zelensky, Trump said that his upcoming meeting with Vice President De Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich would be very important to start the diplomatic process.

Trump also assured that Ukraine would get a seat at the table of any peace talks to end the war.

The head of the Presidentʼs Office Andriy Yermak said that the Ukrainian delegation at the Munich Conference will be led by Volodymyr Zelensky. The Russian Federation was not officially invited to the event.

What preceded

Donald Trump said on February 12 that he had spoken to Putin on the phone. They discussed Ukraine and agreed to assign teams to begin negotiations. According to the American president, the conversation with Putin was “long and very productive”.

"We agreed to work closely together, including mutual visits to our countries," the US president wrote.

After the call to Putin, Trump spoke by phone with Volodymyr Zelensky, to whom he conveyed the essence of the conversation with the Russian leader.

The President of Ukraine said that he and the American leader discussed the possibilities of achieving peace, the willingness of their teams to work together, and technological capabilities, including drones and other modern production.

In addition, the presidents recalled Zelenskyʼs conversation with the head of the US Treasury Department, who brought a draft agreement on minerals to Ukraine. The dialogue also touched on new agreements on security and economic and resource cooperation.

Donald Trump added that the conversation went "very well" and that Zelensky, "like President Putin, wants to achieve peace".

"We discussed various topics related to the war, but mainly the meeting that will take place on Friday in Munich, where the delegation will be led by [US] Vice President JD Vance and [US] Secretary of State Marco Rubio," Trump wrote on his social network.

Trumpʼs plans for war in Ukraine

During the election campaign, Trump claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine “in one day”. However, after being elected president, his narratives changed. The American newspaper The Wall Street Journal wrote that he instructed special envoy Keith Kellogg to end the war in 100 days.

Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stressed that the state will defend its integrity and will not cede its territories to Russia. In September 2024, Zelensky met with Trump and presented him with a victory plan. According to the Ukrainian leader, the meeting was very meaningful.

New US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that under Trumpʼs presidency, ending the Russian-Ukrainian war will be the official policy of the United States. He said that he could not give a specific date for the end of the war between Russia and Ukraine, but both sides will have to make concessions because they will not be able to achieve their maximum goals.

And Trump himself, two days after his inauguration, called on Putin to end the war — otherwise he would impose large taxes and sanctions.

Zelensky said he likes Trumpʼs tactics for ending hostilities. However, he stressed that Trump and Putinʼs talks about a war without Ukraine are dangerous for everyone.

Trump said on February 9 that he has a concrete plan to end the war and wants to make a $500 billion deal with Volodymyr Zelensky for access to rare earth minerals and gas in Ukraine in exchange for security guarantees in a potential peace deal.

The next day, the American president said that the United States was making progress in talks to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, but refused to provide details about any contacts with Putin. At the time, he said that the United States was in contact with Russia and Ukraine and “talking to both sides”.

At the same time, according to President Zelensky, there is no clear information about Trumpʼs plans for war. Ukraine has not yet been consulted about this. Kyiv fears that Trump and Putin may conclude an agreement without taking into account Ukrainian interests.

The US leader said on February 11 that Ukraine had “essentially agreed” to transfer half a trillion dollars in rare earth metals to Washington as payment for American military aid. Previously, Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv was open to partnership on this issue.

The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent brought a draft minerals agreement to Ukraine on February 12. Zelensky said after the meeting that the Ukrainian side would make a decision after reviewing the document.

• Bloomberg recently reported that the Trump administration would present a plan to end Russiaʼs war against Ukraine on February 14-16 at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. However, Kellogg denied this.
• The Munich Security Conference is an annual international forum dedicated to global security and defense policy issues. It has been held since 1963.

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