Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that he will only meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin in person after negotiating a common plan with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Why It Matters
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his war on Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Since then, more than 1 million people on both sides have been either killed or injured, according to The Wall Street Journal. There are also more than 10 million people who have been forcibly displaced in the war.
Trump had said he could end the war within a day of taking office, but his pledge has not come to fruition.
What To Know
Zelensky views Trump as crucial to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict and revealed that the United States president provided him with his direct phone number ahead of Friday's Munich Security Conference in Germany.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Zelensky said, "It's important that everything does not go according to Putin's plan, in which he wants to do everything to make his negotiations bilateral [with the U.S.]."
Earlier this week, Trump had a phone call with Putin, disrupting the U.S.'s support solely of Ukraine for the past few years.
In 2022, Congress passed the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act to facilitate the supply of material to Kyiv to fight Russia. The bill expired in September 2023 without being used. Representative Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina, has proposed reauthorizing a lend-lease agreement to provide Ukraine with weapons.
Unnamed sources told Reuters that Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, would discuss the issue of weapon supply for Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference.
Speaking in Brussels on Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that "everything is on the table" in any future negotiations between Russia and Ukraine amid its war, one day after asserting that NATO membership for Ukraine is unrealistic.
During his tour stop in Germany, Hegseth said the U.S. is not sending troops to Ukraine. He emphasized that Trump is counting on a quick peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine amid its ongoing war. Hegseth also said Trump is "committed to delivering" a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.
Trump also said on Thursday that he wants Russia to be invited back to join the Group of Seven (G7) major economies.
What People Are Saying
Robert O'Brien, a Trump national security adviser during his first term, told Fox News: "Putin's a thug, and President Trump has called him a thug. He's called him a tough guy and a strong man, but we've got to get this war settled...We have a lot to offer the Russians. We could pull back the sanctions. We could give them what they need for their economy."
DD Geopolitics, on X, formerly Twitter: "GOOD NEWS AMERIBROS!! Deployment to Ukraine is canceled, deployment to Gaza, however, is still on the table."
The Wall Street Journal, on January 22: "President Trump has handed retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg the job of ending the Ukraine war in 100 days. Almost no one thinks he can do it—especially the Russians."
Russian President Vladimir Putin told officials on January 21: "[There] should not be a brief truce, not some kind of respite for the regrouping of forces and rearmament with a view to a subsequent continuation of the conflict."
What's Next
This week, Trump disrupted years of unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine following a phone call with Putin, signaling a potential shift in American policy.
Later, Zelensky is scheduled to meet with U.S. Vice President JD Vance to discuss the evolving situation.
Update 2/14/25, 11:40 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 2/14/25, 2:12 p.m. ET: This article was updated to clarify that Robert O'Brien was a Trump national security adviser during his first term.
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About the writer
Monica is a Newsweek reporter based in Boston. Her focus is reporting on breaking news. Monica joined Newsweek in 2024. ... Read more