Donald Trump announced a meeting today in Munich, where the Security Conference will begin, between representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the United States. But Kiev denies "discussions with Russian officials" in Germany.
"There's a meeting in Munich today, next week in Saudi Arabia, not with me and President Putin, but with officials. Ukraine will be there," Trump explained.
"I want the bloodshed in Ukraine to stop. It's too early to say how the negotiations will go," Trump said, not answering questions about what Russia might give up in a deal.
"It has occupied a good part of the territory. Maybe it will give up a lot, maybe not. The negotiations have just begun and it is very early," the US president continued.
The tycoon then reiterated that he sees no reason why a country like Russia would want Ukraine in NATO.
"They said it long before Putin" that they were against Kiev in NATO and "I think that was the reason for the conflict."
Vice President Vance, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, then warned Moscow: The United States will hit Russia with sanctions and potentially military action if Putin does not agree to a peace deal with Ukraine that guarantees Kiev's long-term independence.
Vance said the option of sending US troops to Ukraine if Moscow does not negotiate in good faith remains "on the table." Ukraine must have "sovereign independence," he added. WSJ comments that Vance used "a much harsher tone" than Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had suggested that the US would not commit forces.
Vladimir Putin, for his part, wants to organize a summit with Trump as soon as possible to discuss peace in Ukraine and other issues, because he considers Washington "his main interlocutor," even if Kiev "one way or another" will participate in the negotiations.
A day after the phone call between the tycoon and the Kremlin leader, followed by that between Trump himself and Volodymyr Zelensky, the comment by Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, certainly did not have the effect of calming the Ukrainian president and European leaders, who were showing all their concern and irritation at Trump's move. Although, in the evening, the tycoon himself tried to calm Kiev, assuring that he would be at the negotiating table.
Zelensky said it was "not pleasant" to see Trump call the Kremlin before addressing him. "We will not accept any bilateral negotiations on Ukraine without us," he added.
Kaja Kallas also reacted strongly, expressing her fears about a potential record deal between Trump and Putin that would tear Europe apart: "Any quick fix for Ukraine is a dirty business" and "won't work," said the EU foreign policy chief.
But Peskov responds that "the Europeans will probably have to talk to Washington to seek a place" at the negotiating table.
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