Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump gave him his personal cellphone number. Zelenskyy is optimistic that Trump could play a crucial role in resolving the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Ukrainian leader made these remarks during an address at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
This week, Trump shocked many by reversing years of unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine. Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with U.S. Vice President JD Vance later on Friday, with many observers, particularly from Europe, hoping that Vance will provide insight into Trump’s potential approach to negotiating an end to the war, following a recent phone conversation between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
At the Munich conference, Zelenskyy stated that the United States, including the Biden administration, had never viewed Ukraine as a potential NATO member.
In his speech, Vice President Vance took the opportunity to address European leaders about issues of free speech and illegal immigration, warning that they could lose the support of their electorate if they fail to take swift action. “If you’re running in fear of your own voters there’s nothing America can do for you,” Vance told the audience.
Vance’s comments, including his brief mention of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, came at a time of heightened uncertainty regarding the direction of U.S. foreign policy under Trump’s leadership. “In Washington, there is a new sheriff in town. And under Donald Trump’s leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square,” Vance said, drawing only mild applause.
The vice president also warned European officials about the dangers of illegal migration, emphasizing that the public had not voted for “floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants,” referencing a recent attack in Munich where the suspect, a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, injured more than 30 people. The attack was reportedly motivated by Islamic extremism.
Vance is set to meet with President Zelenskyy later on Friday, and many hope the discussions will shed light on Trump’s perspective regarding a possible negotiated settlement with Russia. In his speech, Vance reiterated that the U.S. administration “believes we can come to a reasonable settlement between Russia and Ukraine.”
Earlier on Friday, Vance held meetings with several key European leaders, including German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. During these engagements, he stressed the need for NATO members to increase their defense spending, pointing out that 23 of NATO’s 32 member nations are meeting the alliance’s defense target of 2% of GDP.
“We want to make sure that NATO is actually built for the future, and we think a big part of that is ensuring that NATO does a little bit more burden sharing in Europe, so the United States can focus on some of our challenges in East Asia,” Vance told Rutte.
Rutte agreed, stating that Europe must take more responsibility: “We have to grow up in that sense and spend much more,” he said.
Just hours before Vance and Zelenskyy were scheduled to meet, a Russian drone with an explosive warhead struck the protective shell of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Kyiv region. However, both Zelenskyy and the U.N. atomic agency confirmed that radiation levels remained unchanged. Zelenskyy referred to the drone strike as a “very clear greeting from Putin and Russian Federation to the security conference.”
The Kremlin quickly denied Ukraine’s accusations. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, and Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova both disputed the claims, with Zakharova also noting that Russia had not been invited to the Munich Security Conference in recent years.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was initially scheduled to join Vance and Zelenskyy but was delayed when his Air Force plane experienced mechanical issues on its way to Munich. He took another flight and was expected to arrive in time for the meeting.
Trump’s call with Putin on Wednesday has thrown U.S. support for Ukraine into uncertainty. While Trump has been vague about his specific plans, he has suggested that any agreement could result in Ukraine having to cede territory Russia has occupied since its 2014 annexation of Crimea.
“The Ukraine war has to end,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “Young people are being killed at levels that nobody’s seen since World War II. And it’s a ridiculous war.”
Trump’s comments have left many European leaders unsure about how to maintain the security framework NATO has provided since World War II, or how to replace the billions of dollars in security assistance the Biden administration has given Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Trump has been openly critical of this aid and is expected to limit or halt it as peace talks move forward.
Both Trump and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week cast doubt on Ukraine’s prospects of joining NATO, which the alliance had previously declared “irreversible.” Trump said Thursday, “I don’t see any way that a country in Russia’s position could allow … them to join NATO. I don’t see that happening.”
On Friday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed support for Ukraine’s NATO membership, telling Zelenskyy that it must be allowed to join the alliance.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Vance stated that the U.S. would impose sanctions and potentially consider military action against Moscow if Putin refuses to agree to a peace deal that guarantees Ukraine’s long-term sovereignty. His suggestion that military options remain “on the table” was notable, given the Trump administration’s previous emphasis on ending the war quickly.
Vance’s team later sought to clarify the newspaper’s report. The reassurances from the U.S. may have eased Zelenskyy’s concerns, but they cannot replace the military and economic support that the Biden administration provided.
Zelenskyy acknowledged on Thursday that it was “not very pleasant” that Trump spoke with Putin first. Nonetheless, he emphasized that the key issue is to “not allow everything to go according to Putin’s plan.”
“We cannot accept it, as an independent country, any agreements (made) without us,” Zelenskyy stated during a visit to a nuclear power plant in western Ukraine.
Trump’s approach has unsettled Europe, drawing comparisons to his earlier critical comments about France and Germany during his first term. French Deputy Foreign Minister Benjamin Haddad noted that Europe is at a pivotal moment, stressing the need for the continent to reduce its dependency on the U.S. for security. He also warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine could have serious consequences for Asia.
“I think we’re not sufficiently grasping the extent to which our world is changing. Both our competitors and our allies are busy accelerating,” Haddad said in an interview with France Info on Thursday.
{Matzav.com}
Wow. Zelenskyy is mamesh a tzaddik.
Stalkers will also give you their #, maybe Zelensky should hide in the church he baptized his children in.
Meda K’neged Meda.