The Kremlin urged the U.S. on Friday to elaborate on Vice President JD Vance's remarks suggesting the use of both military and economic pressure on Russia to secure a favorable peace deal with Ukraine. Following criticism from European countries regarding a recent call between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin, Vance stated that the U.S. possessed various tools to push Russia towards a resolution of the conflict.
In response to Vance's mention of military leverage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed interest in learning more, as such statements were seen as novel by Russian officials. Trump announced plans for U.S. and Russian officials to convene in Munich, with an invitation extended to Ukraine, although Kyiv indicated it did not anticipate direct discussions with Russia at the conference.
Regarding Trump's Munich declaration, Peskov mentioned the need for time to establish diplomatic dialogue with the U.S. on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova conveyed that Russian officials were not planning to attend the Munich Security Conference, criticizing it for allegedly adopting a biased stance in favor of Ukraine.
Despite Russia not being formally invited to the conference, it remained uncertain whether Russian officials might engage in meetings with U.S. or other counterparts outside the conference proceedings. Concerns arose among Ukraine and its European partners about being sidelined in negotiations following the planned Trump-Putin meeting to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.