Munich Security Conference 2025: Key events and statements from day two – Live

Highlights so far

• The second day of the conference was opened by Olaf Scholz, who said that the West continues to stand by Ukraine.
• Zelenskyy speaks at the Munich conference and calls on Europe to create its own army.
• Trump's Special Envoy participates in Ukrainian Lunch, later to speak at Munich Conference.

6:21 p.m. Zelenskyy, responding to a question from RBC-Ukraine, spoke about progress on the path to peace.

"Where have we moved? We have moved forward. If we look at where we were a few months ago, I think we have started working much more with Trump’s team. We had meetings. Teams started working. There are checkpoints, it’s important that we are making some progress," said the President.

He also reacted to information about the alleged composition of groups for possible future negotiations and the supposed meeting between Ukraine and Russia in Saudi Arabia.

"I don’t know. We haven’t talked about this. The media is presenting something. I saw someone saying that there will be a meeting in Saudi Arabia. I don’t know what this is about," Zelenskyy remarked.

6:06 p.m. Zelenskyy says he didn't allow the minister to sign the agreement on rare earth metals with the US because it is not yet ready to protect Ukraine's interests. According to the president, the agreement should be linked to security guarantees, but this is currently missing.

6:04 p.m. In a conversation with journalists at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy made a statement about Europe at the negotiating table.

"Let’s see. The war is not in the US or the European Union, thank God. But, unfortunately, the war is in Ukraine. Therefore, I think Ukraine should have leadership in deciding who should be at the negotiation table," said the president.

5:36 p.m. Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski expressed the opinion if Trump wants Europe to send troops to Ukraine, Europeans will have to do it sooner or later.

5:27 p.m. Baerbock and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski commented on Russia's return to the G7.

Sikorski underlined that Russia should be accepted as soon as it withdraws its troops from Ukraine.

Baerbock supported his words and added that currently, for Putin's Russia, which behaves aggressively towards other G7 countries, there is no place at the table of the organization.

5:15 p.m. Baerbock stated that Ukraine's future in NATO is not off the table.

5:05 p.m. Baerbock again commented on Europe's participation in peace talks on Ukraine. According to her, Europeans in Munich heard that there were different views from the American side.

4:48 p.m. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock responded to the question on how to make Trump involve Europe in peace talks on Ukraine and underlined that there would be no strong peace if this peace is not agreed upon by Europe.

The German diplomat reminded that it was Russia that declared war on the European world and democracy.

4:20 p.m. The Ukrainian lunch at the Munich Security Conference has ended. Plenary discussions are still scheduled. In the evening, the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiha, and Kellog is expected.

4:12 p.m. Kellogg, when asked if there is a risk of a quick "weak agreement" to end the war, assured that Trump will not give up on important interests.

At the same time, he added that the US will continue to fund Ukraine.

3:55 p.m. Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard responded to Kellogg regarding Europe at the negotiating table.

"You are now expecting answers from us about whether we can provide our (European - ed.) soldiers on the ground (in Ukraine - ed.). If you want those answers, then we really need to be at the (negotiating - ed.) table. If we are supposed to be on the ground," she said.

3:51 p.m. While the Ukrainian lunch continues, Zelenskyy met with the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, at the Munich Security Conference.

The Ukrainian leader said that Norway is already investing directly in Ukrainian domestic defense industry. The President assured that countries agreed to continue this cooperation.

3:13 p.m. Kellogg explains his approach to the settlement of the Ukraine war

He says that Ukrainian sovereignty must be secured so that Ukraine is protected in its rights. The question is how to achieve this. Therefore, an important process is communication with European allies about the role they will play.

The US cannot do this alone. For long-term peace, no one can be excluded, Kellogg said.

3:09 p.m. It is unlikely that Russians will demand Alaska’s return at negotiations, Kellogg jokes

What will the talks look like, he questioned. No one will be excluded and the US will listen. Certain things, clearly, cannot take place, he added. Some time is needed, but not six months or a year - rather days and weeks, Trump’s special envoy said.

2:56 p.m. Kellogg says the US has separate tracks for Ukraine and Russia

According to him, he oversees Ukraine and Europe, while his colleague Steve Witkoff handles the Russian track.

"We've got an envoy for the Middle East Witkoff is involved. He's got the Russian lane. And I work in the American/Ukrainian allied lane as well. We're doing that for speed because all we want to do is say "When is this going to end?" I'm on Trump time. And the Trump time means to do a job today and he wants to know tomorrow why is it not solved," Kellogg said.

2:52 p.m. Kellogg speaks at Ukrainian Lunch on the sidelines of the Munich Conference

Trump’s special envoy says that Russia’s war against Ukraine must be brought to an end and adds that the US cannot do this alone. He says that Europe must be part of these efforts.

2:43 p.m. Zelenskyy meets with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference

"The main topics - unified diplomacy, developing reliable security guarantees, the real situation on the battlefield, and defense needs. We also discussed support for our citizens who were forced to leave Ukraine due to Russian aggression," the president said.

Photo: Zelenskyy and Schoof in Munich (t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official)

2:26 p.m. Trump’s Special Envoy Keith Kellogg attends Ukrainian lunch on the sidelines of the Munich Conference

2:17 p.m. Peaceful demonstration in support of Ukraine takes place near Munich Security Conference venue

According to an RBC-Ukraine correspondent, participants in the demonstration demand that any peace negotiations include Ukraine and that a future peace agreement ensures the full restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

2:06 p.m. The West made a mistake in 2014 when Russia began its aggression against Ukraine, says Republican senator Lindsey Graham.

As early as 2014, the West should have integrated economies with Ukraine, strengthened the Ukrainian army to make an invasion more difficult, and warned Russia of consequences in the event of another invasion. But it was not done because they did not want to provoke Putin, he said.

The senator listed three important things to stop Putin. First - the rare earth minerals agreement between Ukraine and the US, which is a real breakthrough because now Americans can see that Ukraine is 'not a burden, it's a benefit.' Second - Ukraine must be maximally armed. And third -- NATO: Ukraine must immediately join the Alliance in the event of another aggression.

1:45 p.m. NATO decided at last year’s summit that Ukraine has a membership perspective, Merz reminds in Munich.

1:29 p.m. German chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz supports sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

His personal position and the position of his parliamentary group have always been clear on these cruise missiles, according to Merz. And he repeated once again what he said during the election campaign, that Germany should be ready to supply missiles. But only if they have an agreement with European partners, and there are at least two of them who supply missiles, that is, Britain and France, Merz said, answering questions from the audience.

1:15 p.m. Frederiksen calls on the West to get rid of “red lines” on Ukraine, because it only creates a lot of difficulties for them, regardless of whether we are talking about the economy or weapons

According to her, the best thing that can be given to Ukraine, even though some allies are against it, is NATO membership.

If they were NATO members, we would never have had a war in Ukraine, she believes. The cheapest, easiest way to protect transatlantic countries is to be in NATO.

1 p.m. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says Europe's plan for Ukraine is very simple: we have to win

12:51 p.m. Europe needs its own plan for security and Ukraine, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

“Europe urgently needs its own plan of action concerning Ukraine and our security, or else other global players will decide about our future. Not necessarily in line with our own interest,” Tusk wrote on X.

According to him, this plan must be prepared now because there is no time to lose.

12:15 p.m. I told Trump that Putin was afraid of him, and he heard me, the Ukrainian president says. And now Putin also knows about it, Zelenskyy says as a joke.

This is the end of Q&A session.

12:13 p.m. Zelenskyy emphasized that peace is Ukraine's plan for 2025.

“It's important to find time for our meetings, to make a common plan and put it on the table for Putin. And do all things that President Trump can do - put sanctions and pressure to stop the war this year, 2025, and make peace in Ukraine. This is our plan, and what we really want,” Zelenskyy said.

12:12 p.m. I'm ready to talk about elections, but Ukrainians don't want it, Zelenskyy says.

He says that he's focusing on the country's survival. Half of the presidential time was spent with Covid, the other half with Putin. Zelenskyy is ready to talk about elections, Ukrainians do not want this, according to him.

12:10 p.m. Zelenskyy says that negotiations on an agreement between Ukraine and the US on rare earth resources are still ongoing

"We are still talking. In our history, there have been a lot of dialogues with different American administrations. Even in the first year of my term in 2019," the president said, without disclosing any details.

12:05 p.m. Ukraine is preparing a large international meeting to mark the anniversary of the start of the full-scale war.

Ukraine is already working to ensure that on February 24, the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, all its allies can come together in Kyiv and online. All European leaders and all key partners who protect Ukraine's security, Zelenskyy says. From Spain to Finland. From Britain to Poland. From Washington to Tokyo.

This meeting, as the president explained, should give a clear vision of the next steps - on peace, security guarantees, and the future of common policy.

11:58 a.m. Zelenskyy, answering a question, says that without a joint plan to end the war, he believes there are no other plans. He said this to President Trump after he talked to Putin. Zelenskyy said it would be dangerous if the first meeting was with Putin and the second with Ukraine.There should be a common view.

According to Zelenskyy, security guarantees need to be prepared as a basic prerequisite to stop Putin and his war.

"It can't be without us. If we don't have for today a common plan, it means, for me, that the US doesn't have. If they have something, it's not about us, it's about something new. But we don't want this new reality," Zelenskyy clarified.

11:55 a.m. Zelenskyy's speech at the Munich Security Conference is over. The president is now answering questions.

11:53 a.m. Even those who regularly come to Mar-a-Lago need to be part of a strong Europe, Zelenskyy says.

“Because President Trump doesn't like weak friends, he respects strength. Someone in Europe may be frustrated with Brussels, but let's be clear: if not Brussels, then Moscow. It's your decision,” the president said.

11:50 a.m. Putin cannot offer real security guarantees, Zelenskyy says.

“Not just because he is a liar, but because Russia in its current state needs war to hold power together. And the world must be protected from that,” the president explained.

According to him, what is needed now is a European army, a common European foreign policy, a level of European cooperation that Washington has to take seriously, international law, and continued pressure on Russia.

“Putin lies. He's predictable. And he is weak. We must use that now, not later,” he added.

11:45 a.m. I will not remove the issue of Ukraine's accession to NATO from the agenda, Zelenskyy emphasizes in Munich.

“But, right now, the most influential member of NATO seems to be Putin, because his whims have the power to block NATO decisions. And that's despite the fact that it was Ukraine's army that stopped Russia. Not NATO country,” the president says.

11:42 a.m. Zelenskyy once again warns that Ukraine will never accept agreements made behind its back.

“And the same rule should apply to all of Europe. No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine. No decisions about Europe without Europe. Europe must have a seat at the table when decisions about Europe are being made. Everything else is zero,” the Ukrainian leader said.

Putin, according to Zelenskyy, wants to negotiate with the United States one-on-one, and then he will try to make Trump come to Moscow on May 9 and stand on Red Square.

“Not as a respected leader, but as a prop in his own performance. We don't need that. We need real success. We need real peace,” he added.

11:40 a.m. The European army is not a substitute for NATO, Zelenskyy clarifies.

"I know Mark Rutte, my good friend, is listening to me right now. Mark, my friend, this isn't about replacing the Alliance. This is about making Europe's contribution to our partnership equal to America's. And we need the same approach when it comes to diplomacy - working together for peace," the president explained.

11:34 a.m. Zelenskyy calls on Europe to create its own army and not to rely on US assistance.

"Right now Ukraine's army, supported by global aid - thank you so much - is holding back Russia. But if not us, then who will stop them? Let's be honest - now we can't rule out the possibility that America might say “No” to Europe on issue that threaten it," the president said.

He reminded that many leaders have already said that Europe needs its own army - the Army of Europe.

“I really believe that time has come. The Armed Forces of Europe must be created,” Zelenskyy said.

11:30 a.m. Ukrainian intelligence has clear information that Russia will send troops to Belarus this summer, Zelenskyy warns in Munich.

“Is this Russian force in Belarus meant to attack Ukraine? Maybe. Or maybe not. Or maybe it's meant for you. Let me remind you: Belarus borders three NATO countries. It has effectively become a foothold for Russian military operations,” the Ukrainian leader emphasized.

Zelenskyy also asks how quickly NATO will be able to respond, if at all, to a possible Russian false flag operation from the territory of Belarus.

11:27 a.m. Zelenskyy mentions Russia and yesterday's Shahed strike on the Chornobyl sarcophagus at the beginning of his speech. The drone carried more than 50 kg of explosives.

“We see this as a deeply symbolic move by Russia, by Putin... The country that launches such strikes does not want peace. No, they don't want. It is not preparing for a dialogue,” the president emphasized.

11:25 a.m. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy begins his speech at the Munich Security Conference.

11:11 a.m. Continuing the topic of Russia's war against Ukraine, Scholz says that Putin has not achieved his goals - he has not weakened NATO, has not created a proxy regime in Ukraine, and instead of “demilitarizing” the Ukrainian army has become even stronger.

He questioned: what guarantees can we get from Russia that the attack will not happen again? This guarantee is a strong Ukrainian army that would exceed their economic power and would be able to survive in the postwar period. This is a task that will be entrusted to Ukraine's partners, he added.

10:50 a.m. Scholz says the West remains on Ukraine's side. According to him, sovereign independence needs to be reflected in the negotiations, Russia's victory will not lead to peace, and Germany will never support a peace imposed on Ukraine.

Germany will not agree to any solution that divides European and American security. Only Putin will benefit from this, the chancellor added.

10:35 a.m. The second day of the Munich conference was opened by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He began his speech by accusing the far-right Alternative for Germany of supporting Nazi ideology.

Germany will not accept outsiders interfering in its democracy, elections, and the democratic shaping of public opinion in favor of this party, he said, alluding to Elon Musk and JD Vance's contacts with the AfD leadership.

Agenda for the second day of MSC 2025

The Munich Conference program on February 15 is dedicated to discussing global and regional crises, as well as the future of the transatlantic partnership. The topic is Euro-Atlantic Security and Regional Challenges.

Discussions will focus on the situation in Sudan, Haiti, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and Georgia. One of the key topics will be the war in Ukraine.

The second day of the MSC includes the following speeches:

10:30 a.m. Kyiv time - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

11:15 a.m. - President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy;

12:30 p.m. - President of Czechia Petr Pavel;

1:30 p.m. - NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte;

4:30 p.m. - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock;

4:30 p.m. - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radosław Sikorski;

4:30 p.m. - Minister for Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Noël Barrot;

4:30 p.m. - UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy;

7:30 p.m. - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha;

7:30 p.m. - Special Envoy of the President of the United States Keith Kellogg.

Zelenskyy's speech in Munich

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to speak at the Munich 2025 Conference from 11:15 a.m. to 12:00.

The topic is Defiance and Diplomacy: Prospects for Ukraine's Future.

He will deliver a speech. A discussion is scheduled to follow. The moderator will be CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour.

On the first day of the conference, Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in a panel discussion on the future of US-Ukraine security cooperation.

You can read what the president said in the article Zelenskyy's remarks on Trump, Putin, and NATO alternatives at Munich Conference.

Zelenskyy also met with US Vice President JD Vance on the sidelines of Munich. They discussed preparing a plan to stop Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and end the war. Following the talks, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needed real security guarantees. The teams of the two countries would continue to work.

Discussion about peace through strength with Keith Kellogg

On the evening of February 15, the Munich Conference will host a panel discussion on Peace through Strength. A Plan for Ukraine.

Time of the event: 7:30 - 8:15 Kyiv time.

Participants: Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, and Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Dovilė Šakalienė.

On the eve of the conference, the media wrote that Keith Kellogg was to present a peace plan for Ukraine in Munich. However, he denied this information, saying that the US plan to end the war in Ukraine was to be presented by Donald Trump, and this would not happen at the conference.

Trump's special envoy said that at the MSC he would hold extensive discussions with European allies to learn about their vision of how to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.

During the first day of the conference, Keith Kellogg met with the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak. The main topic of discussion was the coordination of joint efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, as well as the continuation of US assistance to Ukraine.

How was the first day of the Munich Conference

The annual Munich Security Conference started on February 14. The forum brought together more than 50 world leaders, and the total number of participants exceeded 800.

The opening ceremony took place with speeches from the conference chairman Christoph Heusgen and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The first day featured keynote speeches by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and US Vice President JD Vance.

Russia's war against Ukraine was in the spotlight. Global security, climate change, and democracy were also among the topics.

RBC-Ukraine reported the first day of the Munich 2025 Conference online.