The WSJ interviews JD Vance and Zelensky speaks to Meet the Press
It was an eventful week for NATO’s security meetings in Munich. The Russo-Ukraine War and the intentions to seek a peace deal played an outsized role.
The week started with President Trump speaking with Vladimir Putin for ninety minutes and starting peace negotiations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared Ukraine would not become a part of NATO, the United States would be withdrawing troops from Europe to focus on the U.S. border, and any Ukraine peace deal would not include U.S. forces on the ground in Ukraine.
Soon after, the Vice President, JD Vance, gave an interview to the WSJ where the Vice President pledged that the President wants the killing to stop, to preserve Ukrainian territorial integrity, and to see a sovereign Ukraine. In the interview, the Vice President described Ukrainian sovereignty as not to become a vassal state of Russia nor a vassal state of NATO. Besides those two principles, the Vice President said everything else would be on the table in the negotiations.
In the interview, Mr. Vance acknowledged Ukraine would need to have some security guarantees as it would be necessary for Ukraine to stay a sovereign state. What those security guarantees would look like would still need to be determined.
Vance continued, “They (Ukrainians) fought very bravely, and that’s going to be something that figures very prominently in the negotiations.”
In terms of the various tools the U.S. could use to pressure Russia to accept a peace plan, they include economic and military carrots and sticks. Unlike the Defense Secretary, the Vice President refused to say U.S. troops in Ukraine were off the table.
In the meantime, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent went to Kyiv to make a deal for Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. According to the Washington Post, Ukraine rejected a proposal requesting 50% of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals estimated at $5 trillion. The Post reported that the proposal didn’t offer anything new in return for the minerals deal. The Ukrainians called the deal not ready.
In an interview yesterday on Meet the Press, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, reflected on the momentous week. He suggested hopefulness in ending the war but remained suspicious of his Russian counterpart’s intentions. He advised President Trump not to trust that Putin is ready is peace. He wants a pause in the war so he can rebuild his military and invade again. He reminded the West that Putin broke deals with Ukraine in the past and cannot be trusted. However, Putin is afraid of President Trump and Mr. Trump should use this to his advantage in any future negotiations. Putin respects strength and President Trump must show strength.
He also revealed some Ukrainian intelligence that Putin is building up forces again in Belarus, and Putin may be considering a future attack on a NATO nation like Lithuania or Poland.
President Zelensky cautioned that Putin will not stop at Ukraine. If Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, he will not stop until he takes at least some of Europe. When asked if Ukraine could continue the war without the support of the United States, the President paused. He said it would be very hard and a long shot.
Now is not the time for the U.S. to capitulate to Vladimir Putin to get a deal. President Trump must work with Ukraine and its European allies to show a united front and strength at the negotiating table with Russia.
No one wants the killing to stop more than the AMUkrPAC. However, a bad deal lacking durability will result in the resumption of war and more deaths in the future.
President Trump must be willing to walk away from a bad deal and double down on Ukraine until Russia is ready for a sustainable and lasting peace with its neighbors.