So, the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, met with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Munich, and the big takeaway is that Washington wants a “lasting” peace after the war with Russia. This meeting is kind of a big deal for Ukraine, which is looking to keep the US on its side after President Donald Trump caught everyone off guard by talking to Russian leader Vladimir Putin about ending the conflict. Vance said they had a “good conversation” about how to achieve that goal, and they’ll keep talking over the next few days and months. He also emphasized that they want to achieve lasting peace, not just a temporary fix that’ll fall apart in a couple of years.
As for the meeting itself, Zelenskyy seemed pretty pleased, saying it was a “good meeting” and that Ukraine is ready to move forward with a “fastest possible and guaranteed peace.” But, you know, this all comes after Trump’s phone call with Putin, which had Kyiv and Europeans worried that they might get left out of the loop. Before meeting with Vance, Zelenskyy made it clear that Ukraine won’t talk to Russia without first getting on the same page as the US and its allies.
Vance insisted that the US is willing to push Russia to end its three-year war against Ukraine, and that Europeans will definitely have a role in the negotiations. However, he also reminded European powers that they need to step up their game when it comes to defense, and take on more responsibilities in NATO. There was some speculation that Vance might announce the withdrawal of US troops from Europe, but that didn’t happen. Instead, he brought up Trump’s idea that Europe needs to increase its military spending, saying it’s essential that Europeans make a greater effort while the US focuses on other areas of the world.
The US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, echoed this sentiment, saying that the US presence in Europe can’t be taken for granted forever. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius responded by saying that Europeans can’t replace the US deployment overnight, but they do have a plan in the works. Vance tried to reassure Kyiv that the US will take its sovereignty seriously in talks with Russia, after other officials suggested that Ukraine might have to give up some territory. He mentioned that there are economic and military pressure tools that can be used, which was seen as a strong signal by Zelenskyy.
Ukraine is still pushing for a “fair peace” as the three-year mark of the Russian invasion approaches, as well as security guarantees from Europe and the US. However, Washington has made it clear that it won’t send troops to Ukraine, and it’s not looking likely that Ukraine will join NATO anytime soon. Russia, which isn’t attending the Munich Conference, wants to hold onto the occupied territories and address the “roots of the conflict,” including NATO’s presence near its borders. According to Timothy Ash, a professor of European studies at Oxford, the White House is sending a clear message to Europe: “it’s your problem, we’ll help you close an agreement with Russia, but it’s up to you to make sure it sticks.”
