Europeans appeared to appreciate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s address following a controversial speech by US Vice President JD Vance where he berated European allies.
Vance had been expected to address Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but instead aimed his fire at European allies for allegedly not upholding democratic processes.
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Zelensky called for a unified European front and his voice was one of many that called for a “just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
Kyiv Post attended Day 2 of the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Here are the key themes:
Germany condemned elections’ interference by the US
The morning began with a keynote address by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose political leadership is facing a defining moment on Feb. 23, with the upcoming Bundestag elections.
Scholz’s SPD party appears set to lose the elections to Christian Democrats (CDU) with the right-wing AFD party mostly likely gaining the second-largest vote.
In what may have been a condemnation of the rise of the right-wing AFD party, the German chancellor spoke against any glorification of ideology rooted in Nazism, referencing atrocities committed at the Dachau concentration camp during WWII “just around the corner” from Munich.
Scholz condemned any “external interference in Germany’s democratic processes.”
Scholz, condemned “external interference” in Germany’s democratic processes, seeming to refer to J.D. Vance’s meeting with Alice Weidel, the AFD’ head, on Friday evening on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
Trump Calling Zelensky a Dictator Is ‘Wrong and Dangerous’: Scholz
The meeting, combined with close Trump advisor Elon Musk’s open pro-AFD stance, are raising red flags for the German political establishment and population.
Scholz’ stark remarks could also be interpreted as a response to the speech by Vance, who accused the EU of suppressing free speech in its fight against Russian-influenced propaganda.
In a separate panel, Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and a viable candidate to replace Sholz, agreed with his political opponent, rebutting the American VP: “We stick to the rules of our own democratic institutions. Free speech remains free, but fake news, hate speech, and offences remain subject to legal restraints.”
That said, Merz, like Scholz, emphasized the need for “close cooperation” with the Trump administration as Germans “strongly believe in free markets.”
It is essential to prevent a trans-Atlantic trade war, Merz said.
Zelensky calls for a unified European Army
In an address that seemed to lift the gloomy present mood following the Vance speech, Zelensky advocated for a united European military force, asserting that “Europe needs its own army” to ensure self-sufficiency and security.
He said that defending Europe requires more than money – it requires resolve and cooperation.
“At some point, there will be a border between war and peace. Where that border is drawn, and how strong it is – it’s up to us,” Zelensky said.
“Without Ukraine’s army, Europe’s armies alone will not be enough to stop Russia,” he said, calling for European-made military technology to match Ukraine’s leadership in drone production.
Addressing transatlantic relations, the Ukrainian leader called for a unified European foreign policy but acknowledged America’s role in security: “I don’t believe in security guarantees without America,”
Zelensky said that Ukraine’s NATO membership should remain on the table and that in the event of a peace deal and a US military withdrawal, the Ukrainians could step in.
“Europe must decide its own future,” Zelensky said, and said that Ukraine would also reject any deals made concerning its territory without its involvement.
He also warned that Ukrainian intelligence services have information that: “Russia is preparing to send troops to Belarus this summer” and that those the Kremlin’s aim could just as easily be other countries as Ukraine.
Finally, Zelensky warned that any false peace with Russia would only empower future aggression.
“Putin cannot offer real security guarantees – he is a liar, predictable, and weak,” Zelensky said.
Ukraine’s president urged collective action for a just and lasting peace: “This war cannot be decided by just a few leaders. Let this be the year of Europe, peace, and security for Ukraine and the continent.”
Ukraine’s allies focus on staying strong & alternatives to a US peace proposal
Ukraine’s long-standing allies, such as the Danish PM, Mette Frederiksen, spoke about the urgent need to speed up with weapons deliveries to Ukraine, including the air defense systems.
She emphasized the importance of NATO membership for Ukraine.
“If Ukraine was a member of NATO, we would never have the war in Ukraine. I know it’s not easy as some allies are not in favour of this. Then these allies have to discuss with us what kind of security guarantees we can provide. NATO is the cheapest security guarantee,” Frederiksen said.
Her view was echoed by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who called NATO membership the most durable and cheap solution for Europe’s security.
Merz said that Ukraine’s NATO membership prospects should not be taken off the agenda before the start of any peace talks.
“I don’t agree with anyone who puts off NATO membership for Ukraine before the start of the negotiations. One NATO member alone cannot decide this.”
When pressed on the topic of provision of the high-precision Taurus missiles to Ukraine, a long-debated theme in the German public space, Merz said: “We should be willing to deliver them, but only if we have an agreement with EU partners.”
One of the key recurring questions during the MSC was the issue of reliable security guarantees for Ukraine needed for a “just and lasting peace.”
And this is where South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham expanded on his previous ideas from the first day of the conference.
Graham’s proposed plan consisted of three key points:
- A minerals agreement, where Ukraine provides the US with its rare earth minerals in exchange for military assistance. This would be “easy to sell to the American people,” Graham said.
- Delivery of the US weapons to Ukraine, which would benefit the American economy
- Ukrainian NATO membership, which should happen “automatically” should Russia invade again.
Graham spoke in length about the lessons from Russia’s invasion in 2014, where he said the collective West was afraid to enable further aggression by provoking Russia.
“We should have integrated our economies with Ukraine. To give them hope and have a tripwire so it wouldn’t happen again. But we didn’t do that because we didn’t want to provoke Putin. We should have built up the Ukrainian military, so it’d be harder to invade. We didn’t do that because we didn’t want to provoke Putin. And we never told him what happens if you do it again, cause we didn’t want to deal with provoking Putin. Lessons learned. Don’t worry about provoking Putin.”
Graham’s overarching conclusion was that Russia needs to fear the US as Putin only understand the language of force.
“And if you don’t fear Trump, you are crazy,” he said.
The final day of the Munich Security Conference is expected to deliver key conclusions, including discussions on achieving a “just and lasting peace” for Ukraine. Yet, it is actions—not rhetoric—from government officials and aides that will decide the extent of additional battlefield support Ukraine receives to strengthen its position in negotiations.
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