Summary of the day
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country wants “security guarantees” and a joint US-Ukrainian peace plan before he enters into any talks with Vladimir Putin to end the war in his country. Zelenskyy held talks with US vice-president JD Vance on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, after which both men agreed that further talks were required to see if they could reach a common understanding.
Vance launched a brutal ideological assault on Europe, accusing its leaders of suppressing free speech, failing to halt illegal migration and running in fear from voters’ true beliefs. In a chastising speech in Munich, the US vice president lectured European leaders on what he claimed was the continent’s failure to listen to the populist concerns of voters.
The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Vance’s speech felt like the US was “trying to pick a fight” with Europe. German defence minister Boris Pistorius said Vance’s intervention was “not acceptable”. Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre criticised Vance for “not addressing some of the key security issues that we face today,” which he called a “missed opportunity.”
Britain’s foreign secretary David Lammy said he and Vance agreed that Zelenskyy must be part of any peace talks to end the war with Russia. Lammy said he was “very encouraged” in his conversations with Vance about Ukraine.
The Kremlin is assembling a high-level negotiating team to engage in direct talks with the US to end the war in Ukraine, according to a report. Members of the Russian negotiation team will reportedly include top-level political, intelligence and economic figures, including Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to Putin and outspoken supporter of Trump, suggesting that a key focus of Russia’s negotiating strategy in likely to be on sanctions reduction.
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, warned that there was “no point trying to negotiate” with Putin, amid talks on ending the Ukraine war. “There are only two possible outcomes for any deal with Putin. If he remains in power, he will find a way to break the agreement. If he loses power, the agreement will become meaningless,” she said.
A Russian drone carrying a high-explosive warhead struck the protective containment shell of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine overnight, Zelenskyy said. The attack came hours before the start of the Munich Security Conference.
We’re closing this blog now. Thanks for following along.
Updated
US vice president JD Vance met the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Alice Weidel, according to German media reports.
The meeting was held outside the Munich Security Conference venue because the AfD was not invited to the conference, public broadcaster ZDF reports.
As we reported earlier, Vance appeared to back the AfD when he called for an end of political “firewalls,” a pointed reference to a consensus among German parties not to work with the AfD.
A German government spokesperson said Vance should not interfere in the upcoming election. “I don’t think it is right for foreigners, including those from friendly foreign countries, to interfere so intensively in an election campaign in the middle of an election period,” the spokesperson said.
Yulia Navalnaya warns Putin 'will betray and lie' amid talks on ending Ukraine war
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, warned that there was “no point trying to negotiate” with Russian president Vladimir Putin, amid talks on ending the Ukraine war.
“Even if you decided to negotiate with Putin, just remember he will lie,” Navalnaya told the Munich Security Conference on Friday, according to Agence-France-Presse.
Putin “will betray”, she said. “He will change the rules at the last moment and force you to play his game.”
There are only two possible outcomes for any deal with Putin. If he remains in power, he will find a way to break the agreement. If he loses power, the agreement will become meaningless.
Navalnaya was speaking two days before the first anniversary of her husband’s death in a Russian prison.
UK foreign secretary David Lammy also met with Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, while at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
Lammy posted a photo of the meeting, which took place almost a year to the day after Navalny died in a Russian prison.
“I made clear our commitment to weaken Putin’s attempts to stifle opposition to Yulia Navalnaya,” Lammy wrote.
We will continue to do all we can to constrain the Kremlin - today’s sanctions are take aim at Putin’s inner circle.
Nearly a year after the death of Alexei Navalny, I made clear our commitment to weaken Putin’s attempts to stifle political opposition to @Yulia_Navalnaya.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 14, 2025
We will continue to do all we can to constrain the Kremlin - today's sanctions are take aim at Putin’s inner circle. pic.twitter.com/tQRNeQa5Da
Britain’s foreign secretary David Lammy said he and US vice president JD Vance agreed that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, must be part of any peace talks to end the war with Russia.
“I was very encouraged in our conversations about Ukraine,” Lammy told Reuters after meeting with Vance earlier in the day.
Lammy said he and Vance “share the view that there has to be an enduring peace” and agreed that Ukraine would “have to be part of that negotiated deal”.
“All of us have this desire to bring this horrendous war to an end,” he said, adding:
Negotiations have not yet begun. These are talks, if you like, about talks, and we will continue to support Ukraine.
The pair also touched upon Nato, Aukus and the special relationship between the UK and the US, according to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
US wants ’durable peace’ in Ukraine, says Vance
US vice president JD Vance said Washington wanted to achieve a “durable, lasting peace” in Ukraine, after holding talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Munich. Vance said:
We want the war to come to a close, we want the killing to stop, but we want to achieve a durable, lasting peace, not the kind of peace that’s going to have Eastern Europe in conflict just a couple years down the road.
Vance, who was seated alongside US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Keith Kellogg, Donald Trump’s special envoy on the Ukraine war, continued:
It’s important for us to get together and start to have the conversations that are going to be necessary to bring this thing to a close.
“That’s all I’m going to say for now, because I want to preserve the optionality here for the negotiators and our respective teams to bring this thing to a responsible close,” he added.
The Kremlin is assembling a high-level negotiating team to engage in direct talks with the US to end the war in Ukraine, CNN reports, citing sources.
Members of the Russian negotiation team will include top-level political, intelligence and economic figures, including Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to Vladimir Putin who played a key behind-the-scenes role in a recent release from Russia of American teacher Marc Fogel, the outlet reports.
CNN reports that Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sanctioned sovereign wealth fund, has been an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump and has said that Trump’s win “opens up new opportunities for resetting relations between Russia and the United States.”
According to the outlet, Dmitriev’s participation in potential peace talks indicates that a key focus of Russia’s negotiating strategy in likely to be on sanctions reduction.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had held “good” talks with US vice president, JD Vance.
Zelenskyy told reporters after the meeting:
We have good conversation today. Our first meeting, not last, I’m sure.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, shortly before sitting down with US vice president JD Vance, said the only Russian official he was prepared to talk to was its president, Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy said he would only be prepared to meet with Putin after Ukraine had agreed on a common plan with US president Donald Trump and European leaders.
I will meet with Russians - with only one Russian guy, with Putin - only after we will have common plan with Trump, Europe … and we will sit with Putin and stop the war. Only in this case I’m ready to meet.
Trump had given him his personal phone number and told him that he could call any time he wanted, Zelenskyy added.
Ukraine needs 'real security guarantees' before any talks to end war, Zelenskyy tells Vance
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told US vice president JD Vance that Kyiv wants “real security guarantees” before any talks to end the war with Russia.
Speaking during a meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was “very thankful” for US support. He added:
We need to speak more, to work more and to prepare the plan [for] how to stop [Vladimir] Putin and finish the work … We want peace very much, but we need real security guarantees.
Vance's speech felt like US 'trying to pick a fight with us', says EU foreign policy chief
The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, reacting to US vice president JD Vance’s speech, said it felt like Washington was “trying to pick a fight” with Europe.
Kallas told reporters:
Listening to that speech, they try to pick a fight with us and we don’t want to a pick a fight with our friends.
She added that allies should be focusing on bigger threats like Russia’s aggression on Ukraine.
Updated
The day so far - summary
I am now handing this blog over to my US colleague Léonie Chao-Fong in Washington, as we await updates on Zelenskyy’s talks with JD Vance.
Here are the three things you need to know from today’s Europe Live (so far):
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US vice-president JD Vance were locked in bilateral discussions at the Munich Security Conference this evening as part of Donald Trump’s push for a negotiated peace agreement to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (18:18). We will bring you more on this when we get it. But in his earlier comments, Zelenskyy repeatedly called for iron-clad security guarantees for Ukraine, saying that otherwise there is a risk of Russian aggression against Nato (12:41), and refused to recognise occupied Ukrainian territory as Russian (12:47).
US vice-president JD Vance has urged Europe to put forward a positive case for freedom and act against “the threat that I worry most, the threat from within” which he put as “the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values” through restrictions on free speech, content moderation rules online, and political firewalls against radical parties (15:44).
Pope Francis has been hospitalised for treatment of his ongoing bronchitis, the Vatican has said in a brief press statement. He also cancelled events over the next few days, as he is epxected to undergo further treatment.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com. Thanks for all your emails and engagement today.
I will see you again on Monday, BUT our Europe Live blog does not end here today, so don’t go anywhere yet – it’s over to Léonie in Washington!
Updated
'Missed opportunity' for Vance to not address security issues, Norway PM says
Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre just offered his take on JD Vance’s speech.
He says that the fact that he was able to deliver his speech at a keynote slot even if Europeans don’t agree with him show that freedom of speech is doing fine in Europe, thank you very much.
“The vice-president can decide that this is how he would like to address his audience. He likes to raise these themes, and although we may disagree that is that is fair enough,” he says.
But he pointedly criticises Vance for “not addressing some of the key security issues that we face today,” which he calls a “missed opportunity.”
“What’s happening in Ukraine, what’s happening in Russia, what’s happening in China is less important than the presumed loss of freedom of speech in Europe? I disagree,” he says.
Updated
Zelenskyy’s meeting with JD Vance – first picture
Russian suspect of sabotage against Poland, US deported from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Polish PM says
A Russian citizen suspected of acts of sabotage against “Poland, the US, and other allies” was arrested and deported from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Poland, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has just said in a social media post.
He released no further details about the arrest nor the alleged acts of sabotage, but congratulated intelligence services and the prosecutor’s office saying the arrest further “confirmed hostile Russian activity.”
Greece welcomes proposed EU changes to spending rules
Meanwhile, Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed Ursula von der Leyen’s promise of changes to EU fiscal rules (14:30).
“Greece has long advocated to exempt defence investments from fiscal constraints. We welcome the proposal … to activate the escape clause, enabling EU member states to strengthen their defence capabilities. A crucial step for our collective security,” he said in a social media post.
Earlier today, Zelenskyy also met with a delegation of US senators.
In a social media post, he said he expressed his thanks for “for the bipartisan support Ukraine has received since the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, and for the contributions made to protect thousands of lives.”
“The Russian Federation does not want to end the war and continues to escalate global tensions. That is why U.S. military support is crucial for Ukraine. Only in this way can we achieve a just and lasting peace,” he told them.
Zelenskyy meets Vance on sidelines of Munich conference
The meeting between the pair has now started, Zelenskyy’s press secretary told Reuters.
We will bring you any top lines from their meetings when we get them.
While in Munich, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy meets also with other, European allies.
Earlier today, he spoke (and hugged) with Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda, who assured him that “Lithuania’s support for Ukraine is ironclad.”
“Peace comes through strength, and we stand ready to further strengthen Ukraine’s defence,” he said in a social media post.
He added that:
The only acceptable peace is one that is sustainable, preventing the aggressor from further threatening Europe and the entire democratic world.
Russian drone detonates on Chornobyl nuclear plant containment shell
A Russian drone carrying a high-explosive warhead struck the protective containment shell of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
He described the move, coming amid speculation about potential peace talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin, as “a very clear greeting from Putin and Russian Federation to the security conference.”
Ukrainian security services said the drone was a Geran-2, the Russian name for the Iranian-designed Shahed-136, and had been intended to hit the reactor enclosure, Reuters noted.
Zelenskyy said the damage to the shelter was “significant” and had started a fire, but he added that radiation levels at the plant had not increased.
The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, denied Moscow was responsible for the attack. Without presenting evidence, he said Ukrainian officials wanted to thwart efforts to end the war through negotiations between Trump and Putin.
JD Vance's speech - your reactions
I just wanted to share two more of your comments to JD Vance’s speech that particularly resonated with me. (Again, thanks for writing in!)
First, from Oleksii, who said that Vance’s concerns, as legitimate as they may or may not be, “puzzlingly” ignore the much bigger issue of Putin Russia’s aggression on Ukraine.
While I understand Vance’s concerns—growing support for far-right, alternative, and underdog parties does indicate that many people feel underrepresented, and this is an issue that needs to be addressed—I find it puzzling that he has chosen to place such emphasis on this particular argument. It feels like he is picking the wrong fight, much like Elon Musk and, more broadly, the Trump administration.
Right now, the world is witnessing an ongoing, brutal violation of international law: a full-scale invasion launched by Putin. This is not happening because “Europe has given up its values,” but rather because Putin, instead of reflecting on why his vision of the world no longer fits within modern Europe and working to align Russia with these values, chose to force the world back to a past where brute power dictated order.
And this from Bart, who agreed with lots of what Vance said and said it was just his way of expressing “tough love” for the continent:
Europe, including Britain, is strangulating itself in a brew of deindustrialization, debt, failing social systems, unheard of levels of inbound migration, and a terrified leadership paralysis.
European leaders nervously make speeches, but do almost nothing else.
Britain and Europe ought to be grateful to Mr. Vance. Wayward children do sometimes need “tough love”.
Ukraine-US talks in Munich could cover minerals deal
Ignore the main stage for a second, and remember that somewhere on the sidelines of the conference the Ukrainian and US leaders will be meeting for bilateral talks on what’s next.
Earlier today, Ukraine handed the US its proposals for the much-touted natural minerals deal.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US vice-president JD Vance are expected to discuss this as part of their meeting, which should be starting soon.
US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent told Fox on Friday that the plan was that such a deal would “intertwine the … Ukrainian economy with the US, making sure that US taxpayers receive the return for the money they put in.”
Vance's speech 'unacceptable,' German defence minister says
German defence minister Boris Pistorius said JD Vance’s intervention was “not acceptable”.
“Democracy was called into question by the US vice-president for the whole of Europe earlier,” Pistorius said from the main stage at the conference.
“He speaks of the annihilation of democracy. And if I have understood him correctly, he is comparing conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regions... that is not acceptable,” AFP reported.
'I don't review decisions of independent courts,' Swedish foreign minister replies to Vance
In fact, let’s stay with reactions for a second, as Swedish foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard has replied to Vance’s criticism of her country.
The US vice-president’s comments were understood in Sweden as a reference to the conviction of Salman Majek, who participated in several Qur’an burnings in Stockholm, of incitement against an ethnic group.
Stenergard told TV4 that “Sweden has a very far-reaching freedom of expression,” and pointedly declined to comment about the case.
“As a Swedish politician, I do not review [decisions by] independent courts, and I think politicians in other countries should also refrain from doing so,” she said.
Meanwhile former Swedish prime minister and foreign minister Carl Bildt:
The #MSC2025 speech by [US] VP Vance was significantly worse than expected. At best it was totally irrelevant to European or global security concerns. At worst it was blatant interference in the [German] election campaign in favor of far-right AfD.
(Thanks to a reader in Sweden for bringing this to my attention!)
JD Vance's speech - your reactions
I think it’s safe to say that you do have lots to say in response to JD Vance’s speech! Excellent. Thank you for taking the time to write in.
The key theme in your responses is how many of you are concerned about the future of the transatlantic alliance.
But it is also interesting how many of you pick up on Vance’s parallel between Greta Thunberg and Elon Musk, and point to the new administration’s on-going conflict with the AP news agency as an example of double standards in what he said there about free speech.
Dan Coleman made me laugh noting some differences between Thunberg and Musk:
Please let the record show that Greta Thunberg does not own arguably the most politically influential social media network, is not the richest person in the world and was 12 ten years ago.
Tim writes:
Misinformation is not about a difference of opinion, and Greta Thunberg, even at her most scolding, does not have the influence of the quarter billion dollars Musk put behind Trump’s campaign!
Victoria:
I found JD Vance’s speech so outlandish that I felt I needed to write this: it is pathetic for a grown man to compare a little, powerless Swedish girl to a billionaire at the American office. … Being afraid of a little girl is for losers, sorry.
Rick:
The desire of Europeans is not to shut down dissenting voices, but to recognise that there is an objective reality. There are such things as facts and truth. … This is a problem for human civilisation because if we can not agree on the nature of objective reality then we will not be able to deal with the serious problems that we face.
Daniel picks up JD Vance’s point about Germany having to put up with Musk:
Remarkable that he said Germany must put up with Musk when Trump accused the Labour party [of] foreign interference - cf Trump accuses UK’s Labour Party of ‘foreign interference’.
Democracy just seems to be who can shout the loudest these days – nothing so “sacred”.
Joe engaged with Vance’s comments on what is the point of restrictions on free speech:
I feel JD Vance’s speech today has made clear the stark choice that Europe’s politicians face in the post-Trump world: to vacillate to avoid offending different voter groups, or to clearly and loudly defend liberal democracy on the world stage. We must state clearly why, in a liberal democracy, the only thing we are intolerant of is intolerance. We must remind ourselves and others of the terrible cost of forgetting that.
And there are lots of responses from readers in Germany, frustrated by Vance’s comments on the firewall against the far-right, just nine days before the federal election, and what they see as his “exploitation” of yesterday’s Munich attack for political gain.
Some of you also pick up on what you see as the irony of US Republicans, many of whom did not accept the result of the 2020 election, “giving Europe lessons in democracy” and accepting the view of the people.
David Herrera Martí writes from Grenoble in France:
My first thought upon listening to JD Vance was that he might have forgotten that his boss incited the January 6 Capitol attacks and tried to overturn a democratic process. This does not look like a beacon of democracy to me.
Looking to the future, Clive said something that many of you worried about in your comments as you called for urgent work to ‘Trump-proof’ Europe:
I think the response needed by Europe to today’s speech by JD Vance and earlier this week from Pete Hesketh is a simple one – we see in stark terms that the American government is no longer a reliable partner and – having failed to Trump-proof ourselves as one of your other colleagues correctly put it – we must do so now at maximum speed.
Per picks up that point, too:
My suggestion, for what it’s worth: the European leaders should speak softly while conceding as little as possible - and meanwhile move at the greatest possible speed, not only to rearm, but to build an alternative command structure that can disconnect from Nato. Oh, and we need our own nukes.
But there are also voices saying that Europe should take note of Vance’s warnings, as Ryan eloquently explains:
This was a seminal, powerful speech from a politician whose intellect is underrated by many Europeans. We can acknowledge the forcefulness of JD Vance’s speech even if we believe that Trump is a lawless thug.
Focusing on the message (rather than the messenger), the reality is that many of Vance’s points are correct. He is right to criticise the EU and the UK for abandoning democratic ideals of free speech. He is right to observe that immigration policies in the EU and the UK could spell the death of the entire European project. And he is right to warn the EU and the UK that they cannot take American support for granted if an ideological gulf opens up across the Atlantic.
Politicians on this side of the pond would be well advised to pay heed to Vance’s warnings.
(Also, let me do a quick shout out to students from the City University of London who emailed about their blog; thank you!)
Now, let’s go back to news and catch up on some of the developments in the last hour.
Updated
I think we can expect this speech to spark a debate in Europe, with many keen to respond to Vance’s criticism.
What do you make of his speech?
I’m on jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I may not be in a position to respond to all your emails (sorry!), but will try to read them whenever possible.
Updated
'Threat I worry most is threat from within,' Vance criticises European leaders - summary
US vice-president JD Vance has urged Europe to put forward a positive case for freedom and act against “the threat that I worry most, the threat from within” which he put as “the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values” through restrictions on free speech, content moderation rules online, and political firewalls against radical parties.
In a wide-ranging and fiery speech peppered with European references, he accused European leaders of abandoning their roots as “defenders of democracy” during the cold war by what he believes is the process of shutting down dissenting voices (14:51).
He said they were increasingly looking “like old entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet era words like misinformation … who simply don’t like that idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion” (14:55).
He criticised “cavalier” statements from European officials “sounding delighted” about the cancelled presidential elections in Romania or expansive content moderation powers or other free speech restrictions in the US, Germany and Sweden, saying there were “shocking to American ears” (14:46).
He also criticised European leaders for “running in fear of your own voters,” including on migration, saying that risks destroying democracy from within by disenchanting the population from taking part in democratic processes (15:01).
He dismissed any criticism of Elon Musk’s alleged interference in European elections, saying “if American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk.”
He called for an end of political “firewalls,” a pointed reference to the German arrangement keeping out the far-right parties such as the Alternative für Deutschland, just nine days before the federal election next Sunday (15:01).
But notably, he doesn’t say much about Ukraine, other than a brief comment that the US administration “believes we can come to a reasonable settlement between Russia and Ukraine” (14:44).
Updated
Oooph. Now take a deep breath and a sip of water.
I’ll write a short summary for you. Give me a few minutes.
Updated
'Do not be afraid,' Vance tells European leaders, quoting Pope John Paul II
JD Vance continues urging European leaders to “embrace what your people tell you, even when it is surprising, even when you do not agree.”
That, to me, is the great magic of democracy.
It’s not in these stone buildings or beautiful hotels. It’s not even in the great institutions that we have built together as a shared society.
To believe in democracy is to understand that each of our citizens has wisdom and has a voice, and if we refuse to listen to that voice, even our most successful fights will secure very little.
He ends quoting the Polish Pope John Paul II, “one of the most extraordinary champions of democracy on this continent or any other,” from his inaugural homily in 1978: “Do not be afraid.”
“We shouldn’t be afraid of our people, even when this express views that disagree with their leadership,” he ends.
He gets some applause in what comes across as largely a fairly stunned room.
Vance criticises European leaders for 'running in fear of your own voters'
Vance says that he wants to know what Europe stands for: “what you are defending yourselves for?”
“If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you, nor, for that matter, is there anything that you can do for the American people who elected me and elected President Trump,” he says.
He then turns to migration as he picks up on the identity of the suspect in yesterday’s attack in Munich, a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, as he says:
How many times must we suffer these appalling setbacks before we change course and take our shared civilisation in a new direction?
He references Brexit and other voters where people “are voting for political leaders who promise to put an end to out-of-control migration.”
He says that shutting voices out instead “protects nothing,” and “is the most sure way to destroy democracy.”
If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk.
But what German democracy, what no democracy, American, German or European, will survive, is telling millions of voters that their thoughts and concerns, their aspirations, their pleas for relief, are invalid or unworthy of even being considered.
He then, as expected, touches upon the issue of firewalls keeping the far-right out of mainstream politics (although he speaks generally, not about German politics specifically), saying: “there is no room for firewalls.”
Updated
JD Vance returns to the issue of the cancelled Romanian presidential elections, saying that they were annulled “on the flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbours.”
He criticises the suggestion that democracy can be destroyed with digital advertising from a foreign country, saying that if you believe that then your democracy “was not very strong begin with.”
He directly criticises the organisers of the Munich conference for blocking populist parties from taking part in the event, saying “we don’t have to agree … but it is incumbent upon us to at least participate in dialogue with them.”
To many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it looks more and more like old entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet era words like misinformation and disinformation, who simply don’t like the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion, or, God forbid, vote a different way, or, even worse, win an election.
JD Vance continues criticising what he sees as restriction of free speech in Europe.
We must do more than talk about democratic values. We must live them now.
Within living memory of many of you in this room, the Cold War positioned defenders of democracy against much more tyrannical forces on this continent.
And consider the side in that fight that censored dissidents, that closed churches, that cancelled elections. Were they the good guys? Certainly not.
And thank God they lost the Cold War. They lost because they neither valued nor respected all of the extraordinary blessings of liberty, the freedom to surprise, to make mistakes, to invent, to build.
As it turns out, you can’t mandate innovation or creativity, just as you can’t force people what to think, what to feel or what to believe, and we believe those things are certainly connected.
And unfortunately, when I look at Europe today, it’s sometimes not so clear what happened to some of the Cold War’s winners.
He pointedly criticised EU rules on content moderation, German police for “carrying out raids against citizens suspected of posting anti-feminist comments online as part of ‘combating misogyny on the internet’,” and Swedish plans to convict an activist taking part in Qur’an burnings.
He also turns to the UK, with a long passage about a man charged with breaking protection zones around abortion clinics, and the Scottish government’s leaflets on a similar topic.
Once again, to soften the blow, he says that “sometimes the loudest voices for censorship have come not from within Europe, but from within my own country,” blaming the previous US administration.
Vance criticises EU establishment for 'cavalier statements' on democracy, understanding of rights
But then Vance rapidly turns against the EU establishment.
The threat that I worry the most about vis a vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor; what I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.
He criticises a former European Commissioner – doesn’t name him, but means Thierry Breton – who “went on television recently and sounded delighted that the Romanian government had just annulled an entire election,” and suggested that “the very same thing could happen in Germany.”
Now these cavalier statements are shocking to American ears.
For years, we’ve been told that everything we fund and support is in the name of our shared democratic values, everything from our Ukraine policy to digital censorship, is billed as a defense of democracy.
But when we see European courts cancelling elections and senior officials threatening to cancel others, we ought to ask whether we’re holding ourselves to an appropriately high standard.
To soften the blow, he says “I say ourselves, because I fundamentally believe that we are on the same team.”
'We can come to a reasonable settlement' with Russia, Vance says
Vance says that he believes “we can come to a reasonable settlement between Russia and Ukraine.”
JD Vance praises the hospitality of the German people and cracks a joke about how he and UK foreign secretary David Lammy have both changed jobs since they met each other here last year.
He gets a warm welcome with applause.
“I hope that’s not the last bit of applause that I get,” he jokes.
Oh-oh.
US vice-president JD Vance is about to speak now.
Just before he gets on stage, the chair tells audience to “please take your seats”.
He could just as well say “and fasten your seatbelts, turbulence ahead”.
Updated
“Thank you very much and long live Europe,” von der Leyen ends.
She will now take some questions, and US vice-president JD Vance will speak after that.
Expect a very different tone.
EU to accelerate Ukraine's accession, von der Leyen says
Von der Leyen now says that she ways to “step up our work to accelerate the accession process of Ukraine to the EU”, with “significant progress made already”.
She says the bloc needs to “move mountains” to adapt to the new reality and to “make good on Europe’s enduring promise of peace”.
Updated
'We need to not only speak frankly, but act accordingly', von der Leyen says as she sides with Hegseth's comments on defence spending
Von der Leyen now picks up some on the language from Hegseth’s speech in Brussels earlier this week, noting that “many in the security circles … were confused, some even worried” by what he said.
But she defends his comments, saying there is plenty in the substance of his comments that the EU can agree with him on.
“What resonates with me the most is the need for Europe, not only to speak frankly, but also to act accordingly,” she says, calling for “a surge in European defence spending”.
She announces plans to make changes to defence spending to allow member states to “substantially increase their defensive expenditure” and reforms to the way pan-European investment projects are organised.
Updated
'Failed Ukraine would weaken Europe, and US,' von der Leyen warns
EU’s von der Leyen turns to Ukraine now.
She praises Ukrainian president Zelenskyy, saying he is “prepared to work towards a peace that honour the sacrifice of his country and his fallen compatriots”.
She contrasts that with Russian president Putin’s stance.
She warns that “a failed Ukraine would weaken Europe, but it would also weaken the United States”.
Picking up some of US defence secretary Hegseth’s points on Pacific from earlier this week, she says that giving in to Putin’s demands would “intensify the challenges in the Indo-Pacific and threaten our shared interests”.
“What we have is the authoritarians of this world carefully watching whether there is any impunity if you invade your neighbour, violate international borders, or whether there are real deterrents” against that, she says.
She praises EU’s response and support for Ukraine, and repeats that the bloc is “working with Ukraine on their EU accession, because this is … where their future lies”.
Updated
'Tariffs make no sense,' EU's von der Leyen tells Trump
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is speaking now.
She speaks out against Trump’s proposed tariffs, as she says “trade wars and punitive tariffs make no sense”.
She says they “act like a tax, drive inflation”, and hit will workers on both sides.
“We do not believe that this is good business and we want to avoid a global race to the bottom,” she says.
But she also repeats that “unjustified tariffs … will not go unanswered” as the bloc will “protect our workers, our businesses and consumers at every turn”.
Updated
Bavaria premier joins president Steinmeier in telling US to back off from interfering with German politics
In a particularly interesting passage of his speech, Markus Söder pointedly tells Americans to stay away from interfering with German federal elections.
He says:
One thing I can say from the depth of my heart, I understand that in recent years, some people in the United States didn’t like what they heard about opinions what the outcome of the US elections should be.
But please bear with us and understand that it also works the other way around and it is also true for Germany.
We decide what coalitions we enter into after the elections.
He gets loud applause.
If you’re wondering what’s the context here, let me help you:
These comments come after Wall Street Journal reported earlier today that US vice-president JD Vance was planning to use his speech to criticise the idea of a “firewall” against the far-right in German politics.
(And then there’s obviously the case of new Trump aide Elon Musk’s continuing interference with the German election campaign through his support for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland.)
Let’s see if Vance takes the hint from both Steinmeier and Söder.
Bavaria premier Markus Söder is now speaking, expressing his thanks for the support the state got in the aftermath of Thursday’s attack, and talking about his personal links with the US.
He talks about “a fresh start in our relations with the US”, as he praises Donald Trump for “the greatest comeback in US history”.
“We shouldn’t be moaning or complaining, and we shouldn’t be submissive either. We should recognise the fact that we have a new reality,” he says, quoting his aunt telling him that he wouldn’t have too many friends if he moaned about various things all the time (yeah, I know).
He then uses the stage to make a political comment, saying that “most [of] Germany needs a change of direction”.
Reminder: he’s the leader of the CSU, part of the CDU/CSU union, which is on course to win the elections next Sunday.
Updated
German president on German politics, Ukraine, Trump, and US tech bros disrupting liberal democracy
German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier has delivered a powerful speech on the future of German politics, European security system, and the state of liberal democracy, peppered with direct and critical references to the new US administration under Donald Trump.
He built his speech around four points, so let’s cover them in the same order:
GERMAN POLITICS: Germany will “remain a reliable partner”, he says, noting the unusual situation that the country goes to the polls to vote in a snap election in just nine days.
“German foreign and security policy will remain European, transatlantic and multilateral,” he says. He pointedly says the next federal government “must conduct its work in a manner that respects and promotes a European unity”, a clear rejection of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland.
NATO AND US PRESENCE IN EUROPE: He calls for a radical increase in defence spending, saying that the 2% target adopted in 2014 “belongs to another era”.
“Any future government in Germany will have to provide the necessary financial support required,” he said.
He reveals that he spoke with US vice-president Vance about the risks of reducing US troops in Europe, and asked for any decisions in this area to be coordinated with Europe at risk of weakening Nato’s strength. “Even the strongest countries, including the US, will need allies,” he says.
Steinmeier says that Trump’s peace talks ideas will dominate the talks, as he warns that “the end to this war … will have a lasting impact on our security order, and the influence of both Europe and the US in the world.”
He says that “simply making a deal and leaving would weaken us all”, as he calls for the use of “combined power of deterrence and strength”, and continued support of Ukraine by both Europe and – pointedly – the US.
DON’T GET SCARED BY TRUMP AND DO NOT ABANDON RULES: Steinmeier urges European leaders to “not behave like deers caught in headlights”, and operate beyond just passive reactions to the latest announcements by the US administration.
“We are subjects, not objects in the international order. We must not allow ourselves to be paralysed by the flood of announcements,” he says.
He pointedly warns that “the absence of rules must not become the guiding principle of a new world order”.
FUTURE OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY: In a pointed attack on Elon Musk and other tech moguls as well as Russia, Steinmeier starkly warns against calls to disrupt liberal democracy.
He says Russia and China have long been using “digital communication to wage a hybrid war against liberal democracy”, but then moves on to “historically unprecedented concentration of technological, financial and political power in the US”.
“It causes me great concern to see how a small elite group of business people has both the means and the desire to rewrite a significant part of the liberal democracy playbook, and … when some of these business people openly express their contempt for democratic institutions and norms,” he says.
(I am not sure, but think he may be thinking about Elon Musk, you know.)
He calls for stronger Europe and switches to English at the end to address international guests directly:
To our European colleagues, let’s toughen up.
To our American allies, we have different worldviews, but many good reasons to work together.
Updated
German president Steinmeier starts with a tribute to the victims of the Munich attack yesterday as he says “a dark shadow has been cast over the city of Munich,” and expresses his sympathy with all affected.
The Munich Security Conference chair, Christoph Heusgen, opens with a speech pointedly criticising Russian president Vladimir Putin for “destroying the European security architecture.”
He chose confrontation over cooperation, and unfortunately, during the coming days, we have to once again, deal with Putin’s war against Ukraine.
He introduces German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier as the next speaker.
The event starts with a moment of silence for the casualties of Thursday’s car ramming attack in Munich.
The latest update we’ve had from the police this morning (11:37) is that at least 36 people are injured, including some critically.
The attack is not believed to be linked with the conference.
Updated
Putin likes to disrupt Munich conference – analysis
Diplomatic editor
The start of the Munich security conference has a habit of being disrupted by a display of power by Vladimir Putin.
In 2022, the transatlantic security establishment gathered in the knowledge that Putin was days from launching his attack on Kyiv.
In February 2024, the opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in disputed circumstances in a Russian jail and this year Russia’s leader is on the brink of opening talks with Donald Trump that many analysts predict will end with Russia not just gaining Ukrainian territory but dismembering Ukraine as a sovereign independent state.
Munich Security Conference to start shortly
The Munich Security Conference will start on the Main Stage shortly, and we will see EU’s Ursula von der Leyen and US vice-president JD Vance speak there, among others.
I will bring you all the news lines here.
Update on Pope Francis
Earlier today we reported that Pope Francis has been hospitalised as he continues to battle bronchitis (11:03).
Our Rome correspondent Angela Giuffrida has this latest update for us:
Pope cancels events over the next few days, including a Jubilee audience tomorrow, while mass on Sunday will be done by Cardinal José de Mendonça.
A visit to Cinecitta, the Rome film studios, on Monday has also been cancelled.
Reuters says that the pope held several meetings on Friday before going to hospital, including with Slovak prime minister Robert Fico.
Another one was with Mark Thompson, CEO of the CNN news channel. The pope was “mentally alert but struggling to speak for extended periods due to breathing difficulties,” CNN later reported.
What Ukrainians think about all of this?
While some Kyiv residents express relief over possible end to war, others predict further Russian attacks in future.
Anger and betrayal were common emotions among those questioned on the streets of central Kyiv on Thursday. In the three months since Donald Trump’s election win, many in Ukraine held on to a hope that things would not be as bad as some predicted under the new president.
On Wednesday evening, it seemed these hopes were exposed as illusions.
Shaun Walker and Artem Mazhulin report from Kyiv.
Updated
UK Starmer spoke with Trump and his UK envoy Burnett, discussed US trip
What is interesting about Starmer’s call with Zelenskyy this morning is that it appears to have been made hours after the UK prime minister spoke with US president Donald Trump.
In a statement released this morning, Downing Street said that Starmer hosted US special envoy to the UK Mark Burnett last night and during the meeting, “he took a call from President Trump and discussed his forthcoming visit to the US.”
The readout doesn’t mention specifically Ukraine, but… surely?
Ukraine on ‘irreversible’ path to Nato, and no peace talks without it, UK Starmer tells Zelenskyy
British prime minister Keir Starmer spoke with Zelenskyy on the phone earlier today, and his office said in a readout that he “reiterated the UK’s commitment to Ukraine being on an irreversible path to Nato.”
Starmer was also “unequivocal that there could be no talks about Ukraine, without Ukraine,” the note said.
You can read it in full here.
Russian invasion of Ukraine - maps
For context on Zelenskyy’s comments about the territory occupied by Russia, here is the latest state of play.
It shows that any deal freezing the frontline would essentially leave Russia in control of a significant part of Ukraine, which is what Zelenskyy ruled out.
And here is how these lines have changed over the years of this conflict:
(Thanks to our amazing graphics team for the visuals.)
'Ready to talk any time,' Zelenskyy says, but rules out recognising occupied territory as Russian
Diplomatic editor
Speaking in Munich before meeting a Trump delegation Zelenskyy also said: “I have told President Trump that I am ready to talk at any time – without conditions. We are prepared to discuss everything, from troop deployments to Nato.”
He said his only red line was his refusal to recognise occupied Ukrainian territory as Russian.
“Legally, we will never recognise these territories as ‘Russian’ or anything else – they are Ukrainian. That is a firm red line; it’s in our constitution. And only the people of Ukraine can decide this,” he said.
He also added security guarantees for Ukraine were as important if not more important than formal Nato membership.
He explained:
“Today, neither America nor President Trump is willing to discuss Nato. They believe Ukraine cannot be part of Nato. They see Ukraine’s Nato aspirations, as enshrined in our constitution, as a key reason for Russia’s occupation.”
Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine does not rule out the possibility of adjusting its approach to Nato membership.
He said: “Do we want to be in Nato? Yes. But is it just about the word ‘Nato’? No – it’s about security guarantees.”
In this case, he stressed, the main issue would be the specifics of those security guarantees, including the parameters of a peacekeeping mission and the size of Ukraine’s military.
If Ukraine does not join Nato, Zelenskyy estimates that its army would need to grow to 1.5 million troops. Putin effectively wants to see the Ukrainian army disarmed.
Russia could attack Nato 'next year' if there are no security guarantees, Zelenskyy tells reporters
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just been speaking to reporters at the Munich Security Conference, presenting a strong case for security guarantees that need to be given to Ukraine as part of any peace talks with Russia.
He appeared to at one point suggest that Putin’s Russia could attack Nato next year if it isn’t deterred by security guarantees, but heavily caveated that view saying “that is what I think, I don’t know.”
Here are the key quotes from his briefing:
On Trump’s comments about US-Russia talks in Munich:
I don’t know about it, but maybe somebody knows more than me.
On order of any peace talks:
As I said, the order [of talks] is United States, Europe, then Russia …
On his intelligence on Putin’s plans:
He started the sentence in Ukrainian saying that he is not sure if Putin would stop at Ukraine if there are no sound security guarantees, before switching to English:
They can go forward to Ukraine, or they will go to Poland or to the Baltics, and I think this is his idea. And I think that all I’ve got from intelligence … is that he’s preparing the war against Nato countries next year. That is what I think, I don’t know, I don’t have 100%, … but God bless, we will stop this crazy guy.
On meeting with JD Vance:
I think it’s important to speak and to have meeting. ... I’m very open for this meeting, and we have [our] agenda.
But I said to president Trump, with all respect to all his team, there are some decisions which can be only on the level of presidents because it’s about security of our country.
'You don't have to trust' Putin to negotiate, Hegseth says
Hegseth is also asked about his expectations about US president Trump’s talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
He says that if Nato truly increases its capabilities and spending, this will deter Putin from being emboldened.
Is there trust there? No.
You don’t have to operate under a position of trust in order to negotiate a deal. But again, I’m the secretary of defence, it’s not my job to read the mind of Vladimir Putin.
President Trump will be the one at the table with Zelenskyy and Putin.
You don’t have to trust somebody in order to negotiate with them, but as Ronald Reagan said, if you don’t trust, you need to verify.
And so there will be a follow-up in ensuring that whatever peace is negotiated is a lasting and enduring peace.
(Hate to be the ‘uum, akshually’ guy, but that Reagan quote is originally a Russian proverb that the US president was taught and adopted as a way of getting to the Russians.)
That concludes their press conference.
Updated
Hegseth says welcome in Poland makes him want to welcome more US troops there
Hegseth also gets asked about whether there are any plans to reduce the US involvement in Europe.
He repeats that “America is committed to the Nato alliance.”
“The American presence is robust, and it has been and that partnership is real and important. And the troops that we have here in Poland [are] an investment in that, a recognition of that,” he says.
In comments that will probably make lots of Polish leaders’ days much better, he says:
And frankly, the invitation we receive here, if anything, would make me want to welcome more troops to Poland.
… before he hastily adds…
That’s not a policy statement. That’s just how I feel. The welcome is warm.
But on a more serious note he adds:
Our message is so stark to our European allies: now is the time to invest, because you can’t make an assumption that America’s presence will last forever.
Updated
Hegseth 'does not believe' US troops could be deployed to Ukraine, but leaves it open for negotiations
Hegseth gets asked about any potential deployment of US troops to Ukraine, and strikes a similar tone.
He repeats that he “does not believe, as a part of those negotiations, that US troops will be on the ground.”
But, again, caveats that heavily:
Negotiations happen. The president has latitude, and what happens is those negotiations is his prerogative.
Hegseth hints at European involvement in Ukraine talks, but defends earlier statements
Hegseth pushes back on suggestions he had to roll back his original comments on Ukraine made at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group earlier this week.
I stand by the comments that I made on that first day in the Ukraine contact group – and that’s for all the press out there who it’s difficult for them to understand that we stand by the statements we made … – about the status of US forces or Nato’s or Ukraine’s involvement in Nato and the unlikely nature of that.
But, but, but:
That said, I would never put constraints around what the President of the United States would be willing to negotiate with the sovereign leaders of both Russia and Ukraine.
So what those borders ultimately look like, sir, remains to be seen, and I think is part of the discussion that would be had between our president, Zelenskyy, Putin and likely Europe’s involvement in those discussions as well.
Updated
Hegseth continues with lots of praise for Poland, mentioning joint missions overseas, as he says “the level of partnership, just to underscore here, is unmatched in Europe.”
'Diplomacy is important, but ultimately ... hard power matters,' US Hegseth says
Hegseth continues:
Diplomacy is important. Talk is important. Negotiations are important, but ultimately … bullets and tanks and helicopters and hard power still matters.
Poland understands that, and so do we. They’re exceeding Nato burden sharing commitments, and we’re looking for even more ways to partner.
Poland is 'the model ally,' Hegseth says praising high defence spending
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth opens with praises for Poland:
Our friendship, our bond is ironclad, and we came here specifically to reinforce that.
We says he deliberately picked Poland for his first bilateral meeting in Europe to acknowledge Warsaw’s spending on defence as he calls Poland “the model ally.”
I do want to emphasise that it’s quite intentional that our first European bilateral is right here in Poland. The symbol, the symbolism, is not lost. In fact, it is intentional.
We see Poland as the model ally on the continent, willing to invest not just in their defence, but in our shared defence and the defence of the continent.
Opening the press conference, Kosiniak-Kamysz stresses the need for Europe to increase defence spending, while hailing Poland’s efforts in this area as it spends nearly 5% of GDP on defence.
Poland is a country that understands that greater defense spendings are definitely a must. Europe must spend more.
He floats the idea of a joint venture with the US to increase defence production.
Europe must wake up. Europe must invest in a defence industry, and we want to create joint venture companies with the United States to be able to use these resources better.
Poland can and should be a hub of infrastructure, for maintenance, for economy and businesses of the United States.
Updated
US defence secretary Hegseth speaks in Warsaw
And we’re quickly crossing to Warsaw, Poland, where US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has met with Polish defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and they’re now speaking at a press conference together.
I’ll bring you the key lines here.
36 injured in Munich attack as police suspect Islamist motivation, police say
At least 36 people have been injured in a suspected car ramming attack in Munich yesterday, with some with critical and severe injuries, police said at a press briefing this morning.
A 24-year-old Afghan man remains in custody as the main suspect in the attack. Despite initial reports from officials, he was in Germany legally, and with no previous convictions. He remains under arrest.
Police says the suspect has shown potential Islamist motivation behind the attack, but he has no known links to terrorist groups.
Officers are looking into his contacts and online communications to understand more about his potential motivation.
There are no known links between the attack and the Munich Security Conference.
36 injured in suspected Munich car ramming attack, police say
Munich police has just confirmed that the number of injured in yesterday’s suspected car ramming attack has gone up to 36.
There are no known links between the attack and today’s Munich Security Conference.
Munich police conference on suspended car ramming attack underway
Munich police is now offering updates on yesterday’s suspected car ramming attack.
I will bring you the key news lines soon.
Town-hall election debate in Germany - catch up
Berlin correspondent
The four main German candidates clashed at a town-hall-style debate on public television last night, and delved into the bread-and-butter issues like energy costs and rising rents that a lot of viewers said was missing from Sunday’s duel between conservative frontrunner Friedrich Merz and the chancellor, Olaf Scholz.
The unique format, in which each candidate had 30 minutes on stage responding to audience questions followed by a brief overlap with the next participant, led to a rare joint appearance on stage between Merz and the far-right AfD’s Alice Weidel.
The two shared a cordial handshake before it got scrappy, with Merz asked if he would consider a coalition with her party. Merz was clear, telling Weidel pointedly: “We made a decision: not with you.” Merz said that with its opposition to “the EU, Nato and the euro”, the AfD ran against “everything my party has stood for”.
Weidel responded by repeatedly taunting Merz that by maintaining the “firewall” against the AfD, he was opening the door to a coalition between his CDU/CSU bloc and the Greens, the bogeymen of the right wing and the far right. “Come on, say it – tell them,” she needled. Merz said he would await the outcome of the 23 February election, but voiced a preference for an alliance with the Social Democrats instead.
News website Spiegel found Merz cut the most statesman-like and likeable figure, compared to the wonkish performances turned in by Scholz and Greens candidate Robert Habeck. “Friedrich Merz of all people, who often comes off as arrogant on television, did well. But this TV format suited him -- he seemed composed and genuinely interested in people.”
Weidel began her half hour with tough comments about Thursday’s car ramming in Munich which injured 30 people, some of them severely. Referring to the suspect, an Afghan asylum seeker, she asserted: “The man would never have made it into the country under an AfD-led government.”
But an apparent attempt to soften her image later faltered when the head of an elder care home in the audience told her the AfD’s highly restrictive immigration policy would create catastrophic labour shortages in his sector. After she accused him of failing to read her party’s manifesto, the man shot back: “You should read your party manifesto.” Weidel then accused him of being a plant to sabotage her appearance. “I have the impression that you learned that (the AfD criticism) by heart.” Several members of the audience jeered at Weidel in response.
Nine days to go until election day.
Pope Francis hospitalised with bronchitis, Vatican says
Pope Francis has been hospitalised for treatment of his ongoing bronchitis, the Vatican has said in a brief press statement.
He will be tested and treated at the Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic in Rome, it said.
Reuters notes that Francis, 88, has suffered from influenza and other health problems several times over the past two years.
Earlier this month, Francis told pilgrims at a weekly audience that he was suffering from a “strong cold,” which the Vatican later described as bronchitis.
Updated
And Reuters is just reporting that the Zelenskyy-Vance meeting has now been postponed to 5pm CET (4pm GMT), according to a source in the Ukrainian delegation.
Details on Zelenskyy's meetings with US leaders
I earlier mentioned various behind-the-scenes meetings that are expected to take place at the Munich Security Conference today.
Our diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour has this latest update on meetings between the US and Ukraine:
The US vice-president, JD Vance, will face calls for greater consultation and coherence when he meets European leaders, including the president of Ukraine, at a security conference in Munich.
The timing of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with US officials, initially scheduled for Friday morning, remained unclear because the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, had to change his flight from Washington when the plane experienced a mechanical fault.
Updated
EU accuses Trump's US of undermining free trade rules, says it would respond 'firmly'
The European Union has just responded to Donald Trump’s other overnight announcement on reciprocal trade policy and tariffs.
In a fighting statement, the bloc called the move “a step in the wrong direction” and said that it “sees no justification for increased US tariffs on its exports.”
Tariffs are taxes. By imposing tariffs, the US is taxing its own citizens, raising costs for business, stifling growth and fuelling inflation. Tariffs heighten economic uncertainty and disrupt the efficiency and integration of global markets.
The statement says that the bloc has worked for decades with like-minded countries to “reduce tariffs and other trade barriers worldwide,” which it notes are “commitments that the US is now undermining.”
And it hinted at a firm response coming further down the tracks:
The EU will react firmly and immediately against unjustified barriers to free and fair trade, including when tariffs are used to challenge legal and non-discriminatory policies.
The EU will always protect European businesses, workers, and consumers from unjustified tariff measures.
Here’s the statement in full.
Trump's 'America first' stance sold out Ukraine - analysis
Global affairs correspondent in Washington DC
In Donald Trump’s world, everything has its price.
There is no place for sentiment in his politics. Common values cannot secure loans for military aid. And the US president does not care who controls the blood-soaked soils of east Ukraine, so long as he can access the rare earth minerals that lie beneath.
The peace Trump will negotiate is not about justice. There is no deeper moral or morality here except for who “got it done”, and Trump has signaled that he is ready to pressure Ukraine and Europe to provide concessions to entice Russia to sign on the dotted line.
All that’s left for him is to hash out a price.
European reactions to US Hegseth’s comments on Ukraine - analysis
Defence and security editor
European leaders are reeling from several abrupt US moves since Wednesday in relation to the Ukraine war and the continent’s security, which has been underpinned by the US since Nato was formed at the end of the second world war.
The Kremlin welcomed the developments on Ukraine, but the statements prompted a sharp push back from European politicians in public and private at the Nato meeting, who voiced concern that too much had been conceded by the US already and that Ukraine and Europe were at risk of being excluded from discussions.
Those present at the Nato talks on Thursday said US defence secretary Pete Hegseth had come under pressure from “a chorus of voices” to ensure Ukraine was properly represented in the peace discussions – while a day earlier at a Ukraine-related meeting he was told not to halt all US military aid to Ukraine.
France's Macron warns against 'capitulation' to Russia's demands on Ukraine
French president Emmanuel Macron has warned against a peace deal over the Ukraine war that would amount to “capitulation” as Donald Trump suggested Russia might not make any concessions in negotiations.
He said only the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, could negotiate on behalf of his country with Russia to end the war, warning in an interview with the Financial Times that a “peace that is a capitulation” would be “bad news for everyone”, including the US.
His voice joins a growing chorus of European leaders concerned about the proposed format of the peace talks proposed by US president Donald Trump.
Update from Munich on suspected car ramming attack
We are also expecting an update from the Munich police this morning, after the number of people injured in yesterday’s suspected car attack has gone up to 30.
But, but, but there was also an important correction from the authorities that, despite what they said earlier, the suspect was in Germany legally.
Shortly after the suspected attack, Bavaria’s interior minister Joachim Herrmann suggested that the suspect’s asylum application was rejected, and that he was known to the police in connection with shoplifting and drug offences.
But he corrected the record on Thursday night, saying that the 24-year-old was, in fact, legally after he was given a residence permit in late 2021, even after his original asylum application was rejected.
Herrmann also said that his involvement with drug and shoplifting offences was in relation to his work as a security guard in a store. Or, as confirmed by the Munich police, he was simply listed as a witness, not as a suspect.
German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier is due to visit the scene this morning, and a police briefing is expected around 11am CET (10am GMT).
The suspect is also expected to be brought in front of a judge today, so we may hear more there.
The day ahead
It’s going to be a busy, and potentially turbulent, day. Buckle up.
At the Munich Security Conference, we are going to hear from:
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen
US vice-president JD Vance
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy
German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Multiple defence and foreign ministers of EU countries
Separately, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth is in Poland, which he called “a model” for how Nato should invest in its defence capabilities, and he will speak there twice during the day.
I will bring you all the key lines here.
Morning opening: We have seen it before
In 1938, the UK, the French Republic, fascist Italy, and Nazi Germany signed an agreement that was meant to appease Adolf Hitler’s growing appetite for territorial expansion by allowing for the annexation of parts of Czechoslovakia (which was not represented). Guess how that worked out.
It was formally called “the Munich agreement,” although if you ask the Czechs and the Slovaks, they have a different name for it: “The Munich betrayal.”
The agreement was signed in the Führerbau building in Munich, approximately 950 metres from where today’s Security Conference takes place.
Just saying.
Given that historical background, it is only understandable that confronted with the prospect of Trump’s peace talks on Ukraine with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, this time happening behind their backs and with no clear guarantees about the role and the importance of Ukraine’s position in all of this, many European leaders feel deeply uneasy.
EU foreign policy chief and former Estonian prime minister, Kaja Kallas, was clear with how she saw Trump’s plan to decide the future of Ukraine in talks with Russia, potentially without the involvement of Europeans.
“Why are we giving them [Russia] everything that they want even before the negotiations have been started?” she said. “It’s appeasement. It has never worked.”
UK defence secretary John Healey, who played a central role in talks this week leading Europe’s push back against the new American policy, also repeatedly said: “No negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski put it even more bluntly: “I’m going to Munich, but we’re not doing another Munich.”
Among other speeches, we will hear from US vice-president JD Vance. We know from his Paris appearance earlier this week that he does not mince words when he is unhappy about something.
German opposition leader Friedrich Merz claimed last night that he had some early briefing on what is going to be in Vance’s speech, and said he expected “a brutally hard message” and a “confrontational speech”.
Let’s see.
Crucial talks will be happening behind the scenes, including – seemingly in two separate channels – discussions between Ukraine and US, and between US and Russia.
I will bring you the latest here.
It’s Friday, 14 February 2025, and this is Europe live. It’s Jakub Krupa here.
Good morning.
