"Even if you decided to negotiate with Putin, just remember he will lie," Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, said at the Munich Security Conference two days before the anniversary of her husband's death.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance stunned those watching on Feb. 14 when his speech at the Munich Security Conference turned into a searing attack on Europe's ideals and a call to embrace far-right political parties. At an event focused almost entirely on how to end Russia's full-scale invasion of
Key developments on Feb. 14: * Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant sarcophagus hit by Russian drone, Zelensky releases video of explosion * "Peace deal can't be signed in Munich" — Zelensky sets out condition for talks with Putin * "Crazy" Putin could attack NATO in 2026, Russia building up troops in Belarus, Zelensky says * 4,
The draft memorandum is part of broader discussions on a potential minerals agreement, which Trump has suggested could involve access to Ukraine's mineral reserves in exchange for continued military and financial support.
Russia attacked Ukraine’s decommissioned Chornobyl nuclear power plant on Feb. 14 just as world leaders gathered for the Munich Security Conference — in Moscow’s latest nuclear threat against Kyiv. Videos shared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky show a drone breaking through Chornobyl’s “sarcophagus,” an international project to cover
"Today, we are not talking about any peace agreement... A peace deal cannot be signed in Munich because it is Munich. We remember what things were signed here. I do not repeat such things," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia plans to deploy 15 divisions, totaling 100,000 to 150,000 troops, primarily in Belarus.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky said the morale of Pyongyang's troops had been "broken" by the losses.
The postponement comes as the U.S. considers a proposed minerals agreement that could link future aid to Ukraine with access to its rare earth mineral reserves.
U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 14.
A Ukrainian official on Feb. 13 denied Ukraine will participate in a joint meeting between U.S. and Russian representatives in Munich after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested talks will be held on Feb. 14.
While in Ukraine, Keith Kellogg is expected to meet with officials and civilians affected by nearly three years of war, the announcement said.
Keith Kellogg, Trump's envoy for Ukraine and Russia, reportedly assured European diplomats that NATO allies would be consulted before finalizing any proposal.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Vice President JD Vance are expected to meet during the Munich Security Conference later this week, CBS News reported on Feb. 9, citing undisclosed sources.
Editor's note: This article is an on-site version of KI Insights' The Week Ahead newsletter covering events from Feb. 10-Feb. 16. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events, delivered directly to your inbox every Sunday. This week’s key event is the 61st Munich
Ukrainian delegation will present the country's position on ending the war and its vision of achieving a "lasting and sustainable peace," Presidential Administration head Andriy Yermak noted.
Washington will not present a plan to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine during the Munich Security Conference next week, U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said on Feb. 6.
"I look forward to speaking about (Trump's) goal to end the bloody and costly war in Ukraine," Keith Kellogg said on X.
MUNICH – “Words, words, just words,” sighed one VIP attendee at the Munich Security Conference as representatives of three European Union member states discussed security cooperation. “China will get the message: ‘No need to worry about us here,’” said another about the signals being sent from Bavaria. A lugubrious mood hung
Editor’s note: The following piece is a personal account of the Munich Security Conference from a Kyiv Independent reporter but does not purport to reflect the views of the publication. MUNICH – For three days every year, the space in front of the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in central Munich turns
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas also said that European countries should do more to support Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Ukraine has made additional security and military aid agreements during the Munich Security Conference, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 18.
Stubb said that he sees three steps for Ukraine’s European and transatlantic aspirations. The first is security agreements that are currently being signed by all G7 members and 31 countries, followed by EU membership, and finally NATO membership.
"We agreed on the need to maintain Ukraine-China contacts at all levels and continue our dialogue," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
The EU's collective economic power is by far superior to Russia, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told the Kyiv Independent on Feb. 17 in an interview at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, adding that European nations must invest more in defense and support for Ukraine.
"We have identified at this point half a million rounds of 155 mm caliber and another 300,000 rounds of 122 mm caliber, which we will be able to deliver within weeks if we quickly find funding for that activity," Czech President Petr Pavel said at the Munich Security Conference.
The German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall signed a memorandum of intent with a Ukrainian company on the production of artillery shells directly in Ukraine, Rheinmetall said on Feb. 17.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 17, with Ukraine's "security and resilience" as the chief topics of discussion, the Presidential Office said.
"This war is about much more than two states fighting over a territory. This war is about the question of whether we'll allow an imperialist power to impose its will on another state," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
Andriy Yermak, Ukraine's Presidential Office head, said that he considers press freedom "one of the most important parts of any democratic society" and "one of the values we are fighting for" when asked about his personal reaction to an investigation accusing the country's security service of surveilling independent journalists.
"Held a meeting with the U.S. Senate delegation in Munich. We spoke about Ukraine's main defense needs, namely artillery systems and shells, long-range weapons, electronic warfare systems, and air defense support," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram.
Kyiv's partners "need outside-the-box thinking" regarding providing Ukraine with sufficient weaponry to repel Russia's full-scale invasion, ex-NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 17.
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