We had a good conversation today. I'm sure it's our first meeting, not our last, says Zelenskyj.
Vance, on his side, says after the meeting that the USA strives for a lasting peace in Ukraine.
We want the war to end, we want the killing to stop, but we want to achieve a lasting, sustainable peace, not the kind of peace that will lead to conflicts in Eastern Europe in just a few years, says the Vice President.
Zelenskyj announced earlier that he is ready to participate in the American peace initiatives. He has also opened up to talking to Russia – at a later stage.
We are ready for talks with the USA, with allies – and then, when we have agreed on a position, we will talk to the Russians, said Zelenskyj according to Bloomberg.
"Military pressure"
The security conference that began on Friday has a strong focus on the war in Ukraine and the American attempts at peace negotiations.
Donald Trump's conversation with Russia's President Vladimir Putin has raised concerns that the USA and Russia will try to reach a peace agreement without Ukrainian and European participation – and that the USA will try to force Ukraine to accept a bad peace deal.
But Europe will "of course" be involved in all talks about ending the war in Ukraine, stated USA's Vice President JD Vance earlier in Munich.
Before the meeting with Zelenskyj, Vance said that sanctions and military pressure on Russia to achieve peace are not ruled out – if Putin does not agree to a peace agreement with Ukraine that guarantees long-term Ukrainian independence.
There are economic tools for pressure, there are naturally military tools for pressure, said Vance to The Wall Street Journal.
No Russians invited
According to Vance, it is too early to say how much of Ukraine can become Russian in a potential agreement, or what security guarantees the West can promise Ukraine if the country is denied NATO membership.
On Thursday, Trump claimed that high-level representatives from Russia, Ukraine, and the USA would meet on Friday. Kyiv has, however, announced that it is not currently planning to participate in talks with Russians – and Moscow announced on Friday that they do not have any high-level representatives present in Munich.
The security conference's chairman Christoph Heusgen had previously said in German radio that no high-level representatives of the Russian government have been accredited. He did not, however, rule out that other meetings may be planned outside the conference framework.
