Finnish President Alexander Stubb revealed to Reuters on Saturday that the United States has sent a questionnaire to European nations, seeking their input on how they could contribute to providing security guarantees for Europe. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Stubb stated, “The Americans have provided Europeans with the questionnaire on what would be possible.”
Meanwhile, a French presidency official announced on Saturday that France is in talks with its allies about organizing an informal summit of European leaders to discuss the situation in Ukraine, according to Reuters. Additionally, four European diplomats indicated that the meeting is likely to take place on Monday.
In a separate development, NBC reported, citing four U.S. officials, that the Trump administration has proposed a deal to Ukraine, suggesting that the U.S. receive 50% of the war-torn country’s rare earth minerals. Two of the officials noted that instead of monetary payment, the agreement would serve as a way for Ukraine to repay the billions of dollars in weapons and aid packages provided by the U.S. since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, expressed concerns about the proposed rare earth mineral deal with the U.S., telling Reuters on Saturday that it lacked the security provisions Ukraine urgently needs. When asked about the U.S. proposal, Zelenskyy remarked, “It’s not in our interest today, not in the interest of a sovereign Ukraine.”
In another significant development, senior officials from the U.S. and Russia are set to meet next week in Saudi Arabia to lay the groundwork for a potential leaders’ summit, possibly by the end of the month, aimed at discussing an end to the war in Ukraine, according to sources familiar with the matter. On Saturday, Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, stated that while Europe would be consulted, it would ultimately be excluded from peace talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz strongly defended his stance against the far-right, emphasizing that Germany would not tolerate those who “intervene in our democracy.” This came a day after U.S. Vice President JD Vance criticized European leaders over their approach to democracy. Scholz asserted, “Free speech in Europe means that you are not attacking others in ways that are against legislation and laws we have in our country.”
Scholz also emphasized on Saturday that lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia could only be achieved if Ukrainian sovereignty is secured. He added, “We will also not accept any solution that leads to a decoupling of European and American security. Only one person would benefit from this: President Putin.”
At the Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the creation of a European army, stating, “Our army alone is not enough, we need your support.” He also noted that the era of U.S. support for Europe “just because it always had” is over. Zelenskyy insisted that NATO membership for Ukraine remains a possibility and stressed that no decisions on ending the war should be made without Kyiv and Europe’s involvement.
UK Foreign Minister David Lammy, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, expressed his intention to encourage a stronger partnership between U.S. President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy. Lammy argued that the best security guarantee for Ukraine against future Russian aggression would be integrating U.S. industry, business, and defense capabilities into its future.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte highlighted at the conference that “Russia is on a war economy. We are not,” and called for increased defense spending among NATO members despite domestic political challenges.
Amid mixed reactions to JD Vance’s speech in Munich, Swiss President Viola Amherd agreed with many of the “liberal values” he articulated, describing his remarks as a “plea for direct democracy.” In an interview with *Le Temps*, she noted that “in a certain sense, (the speech) was very Swiss in its call to listen to the population.”
German conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz also joined the criticism of Vance’s comments on Europe’s stance toward hate speech and the far-right, stating, “We stick to the rules imposed by our democratic institutions,” during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference.
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