Munich: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirmed Kyiv’s stance on Saturday, emphasizing that no decisions regarding the Russia-Ukraine war should be made without Ukraine’s direct involvement. His remarks at the Munich Security Conference came amid U.S. efforts to push for diplomatic talks with Moscow.
“No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine, no decisions about Europe without Europe. Europe must have a seat at the table,” Zelenskyy stated, stressing the continent’s role in shaping its own security.
His comments followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement on Friday that representatives from Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. would meet on the sidelines of the conference to discuss potential ways to end the war.
“Russia is going to be there with our people. Ukraine is also invited, by the way, not sure exactly who’s going to be there from any country – but high-level people from Russia, from Ukraine and the United States,” Trump said.
Zelenskyy Urges Europe to Act
Amid concerns over shifting U.S. support, Zelenskyy called on European nations to take greater initiative in countering Russia’s threat.
“Europe just needs to come together and start acting in a way that no one can say no to Europe, boss it around, or treat it like a pushover,” he urged.
Earlier this month, Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone, later stating that Putin “wants to see people stop dying.” Following the conversation, Trump expressed optimism about ending the war and suggested that Washington was making progress with Moscow.
Zelenskyy Meets Vance
On the sidelines of the conference, Zelenskyy held talks with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, where he sought “security guarantees” from Washington to ensure continued American support for Ukraine. Speaking to reporters, Zelenskyy stressed the importance of maintaining open discussions with the White House before any potential resolution to the war is formulated.
“We want peace very much but we need real security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said after his first meeting with Vance.
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Vance described the discussions as “good conversations” and acknowledged the administration’s commitment to achieving a long-term resolution.
“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,” Vance said as the meeting concluded.
