'We're ready to move to real and guaranteed peace as quickly as possible' — Zelensky on meeting with Vance
A Ukrainian delegation led by President Volodymyr Zelensky met with representatives of the U.S. government, including U.S. Vice President JD Vance, at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14.
The meeting was initially postponed, allowing the U.S. time to review a draft memorandum of partnership submitted by Kyiv, a source in the Zelensky's Office told the Kyiv Independent.
Following the meeting, Zelensky thanked Vance and his team. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, also attended the meeting.
"Our teams will continue to work on the document (on critical minerals). We have addressed many of the key issues and look forward to welcoming General Kellogg to Ukraine for further discussions and a deeper assessment of the situation on the ground," Zelensky wrote.
"We are ready to move towards real and guaranteed peace as quickly as possible. We sincerely appreciate President Trump's determination to help stop the war and provide Ukraine with justice and security guarantees," Zelensky added.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a draft of the agreement to Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv on Feb. 12. Ukraine finalized and handed over the memorandum to the U.S. side, which requested additional time to review the document until 5 p.m.
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.
Zelensky has expressed openness to such an arrangement, saying that Ukraine is willing to grant U.S. companies access to minerals in exchange for sustained support from Washington.
