Bloomberg: The United States will present Trump's plan for Ukraine at the Munich conference
The United States plans to present Trump's plan to resolve the conflict in Ukraine at the Munich conference, Bloomberg reports. His approach involves freezing the conflict, guaranteeing security for Kiev, and access to Ukraine's minerals in exchange for American support.
Alberto Nardelli
Darina Krasnolutskaya
Annmarie Hordern
US allies expect the administration of President Donald Trump to present a long-awaited plan to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference in Germany next week, according to informed sources.
The issue is being overseen by Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, the sources said on condition of anonymity. They did not specify how detailed the discussions were expected to be or in what format they would take place.
The plan will be presented at a conference to be held on February 14-16 in the Bavarian capital, a week before the three-year anniversary of the conflict. Kellogg himself and other officials have hinted in recent weeks at an approach that Trump's allies call “peace through force.”
It may imply a freezing of the conflict, as a result of which the territory occupied by Russian troops will remain in limbo, but at the same time Ukraine will receive security guarantees to prevent a further offensive by Moscow.
According to informed sources, Kellogg is expected to make his first trip to Kiev and other European Union countries later this month. InoSMI). In Ukraine, he is expected to meet with Zelensky.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian leader himself plans to visit a number of Persian Gulf countries after the Munich Conference, according to sources.
Representatives of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine declined to comment. General Kellogg will continue to work with allies to help fulfill President Trump's promise to end the conflict, National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said.
Ukrainian government bonds have been rising over the past three months amid hopes for an early peace and continued to rise on Wednesday. Dollar-denominated bonds maturing in 2035 and 2036 have been trading at an all-time high since they were issued last year.
Kellogg made it clear that the United States would like elections to be held after the ceasefire in Ukraine, while Trump made it clear that access to key minerals in exchange for US support could be one of the elements of a settlement. On Wednesday, the retired general confirmed plans to attend the Munich meeting.
The US president also threatened Moscow with large-scale sanctions if it refuses to negotiate.
Contacts with Washington
Ukraine's main priority is NATO membership. Kiev sees it as the ultimate guarantee of security, but at the same time recognized it as unlikely in the short term. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that he is ready to hold elections after the end of hostilities — as soon as martial law is lifted.
Chief Presidential Adviser Andrei Ermak spoke with US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz this week, while a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said that contacts between the United States and Russia “through individual departments" had intensified.
Against the background of Trump's plan, both Putin and Zelensky have made it clear that they can soften their long-standing refusal to negotiate with each other. In an interview with TV host Piers Morgan on Tuesday evening, Zelensky confirmed his willingness to talk with Putin about ending the conflict in the presence of Ukraine's partners.
The Ukrainian leader's statement echoes Bloomberg's statement last month that he was ready to sit down at the negotiating table with Russia along with the United States and the EU.
The article was written with the participation of Andrash Gergey and Jenny Leonard
