On the opening day of the Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a stark warning: Ukraine’s chances of withstanding Russia’s invasion without U.S. assistance are slim.
In an excerpt from an NBC Meet the Press interview set to air Sunday, Zelensky stated, “It will be very, very, very difficult. And of course, in all difficult situations, there is a chance. But we will have a low chance—low chance to survive without support from the United States.”
His remarks came as European officials gathered in Munich, hoping for clarity on the U.S. strategy for potential peace talks with Russia. However, Vice President JD Vance, in his speech, barely mentioned Ukraine and instead focused on urging European nations to stop isolating their far-right parties. He framed the suppression of free speech—not the war in Ukraine—as Europe’s greatest security threat.
Adding to Kyiv’s concerns, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told NATO and Ukrainian officials in Brussels earlier this week that Ukraine’s hopes of joining NATO were not supported by the United States. He also dismissed the idea of restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders—before Russia’s annexation of Crimea—as “unrealistic.”
Former President Donald Trump has previously suggested that U.S. aid to Ukraine should be tied to access to the country’s vast reserves of critical minerals. In a recent Fox News interview, he claimed Ukraine had “essentially agreed” to such an arrangement, suggesting a deal worth “the equivalent of $500 billion worth of rare earths.”
High-Stakes Talks in Munich
During a Friday meeting in Munich, Zelensky sat across from Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and retired General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, to press for “security guarantees.” While Vance reiterated the U.S. desire to end the war, he avoided detailing any specific peace plan.
“Fundamentally, as President Trump outlined, we want the war to come to a close, we want the killing to stop,” Vance said. “But we want to achieve a durable, lasting peace.”
Following the meeting, Zelensky expressed gratitude for past U.S. support but emphasized the urgent need for a concrete strategy to counter Russian aggression.
In a social media post, he stated, “We addressed many key issues and look forward to welcoming General Kellogg to Ukraine for further meetings and a deeper assessment of the situation on the ground. We are ready to move as quickly as possible toward a real and guaranteed peace.”