President Volodymr Zelensky says more work is needed on a plan for ending the war in Ukraine during a meeting with US Vice-President JD Vance.
The talks on the side-lines of the Munich Security Conference, came after Mr. Vance criticised European leaders over free speech and democracy, telling world leaders during an address that “there is a new sheriff in town”, referring to US President Donald Trump.
Earlier Zelensky said he doesn’t see a “ready US plan” to end the Ukraine war.
President Trump had said US, Russian and Ukrainian officials would meet in Munich – but Moscow says they are not sending a delegation to the summit.
It’s almost three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine
US Vice President JD Vance, at a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said he wants to “preserve the optionality” for those working to negotiate an end to the war, and said the goal is for a “durable, lasting peace.”
“We had a number of fruitful conversations and a number of things to follow up and work on,” Vance told reporters sitting directly across from Zelensky in Germany.
“Fundamentally, the goal is as President (Donald) Trump outlined it: We want the war to come to a close. We want the killing to stop, but we want to achieve a durable, lasting peace, not the kind of peace that’s going to have eastern Europe in conflict just a couple years down the road,” he said.
Vance’s remarks come amid an air of uncertainty and anxiety which has enveloped Europe in the past week after Trump suggested Ukraine “may be Russian someday,” shortly before announcing that peace negotiations would begin immediately after holding a phone call with Putin.
Trump’s announcement sparked fears that a “dirty deal” may be struck with Putin to end the war on terms favorable to Moscow without Kyiv’s involvement.
But Vance warned earlier on Thursday the US could hit Russia with economic and military “tools of leverage” if Moscow doesn’t negotiate a peace deal in good faith.
