Quotes
We don’t know what the U.S. will propose, so everyone is looking to Munich,
said Jan Lipavský, the Czech Republic’s minister of foreign affairs
Europe has to wake up,
Lipavský saidThe new administration felt that they were coming in with leverage,
said Catherine Sendak, the Pentagon’s Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia office chief in the first Trump administrationThe rules of the game have changed,
François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry, said in an interviewIt’s a challenging assignment both because he’s new to the vice presidency and to international diplomacy, and because the Trump administration’s approach is one that is very different from what the allies have been accustomed to hearing and what they want to hear,
said Joel Goldstein, an emeritus law professor at Saint Louis University and expert on the vice presidencyThey’ll take him more seriously than last year, especially since he is not traveling alone but with [Ukraine peace envoy Keith] Kellogg,
said Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations who is attending the conference_(cropped).png)
There would be occasions where he would say, ‘Mike, deliver this message for me,’
Short said
Well, I don’t know about the particular thing, but if the vice president said that — did you say that
the president said, turning to VanceThey chum it up in a way Trump and Pence did not.”
A third person familiar with their dynamicThe tone seems to be ‘Okay, Europe. This belongs to you, now,
said Jim Townsend, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO, referring to both Ukraine and European security as a wholeHe’s a true believer,
said Garrett Ventry, Trump ally and public affairs executiveThey will take him seriously but I am afraid of [their] reaction,
said one Eastern European official, granted anonymity to speak candidlyThe first Munich conference in his first administration, we didn’t know what MAGA was, really,
said one person close to the White House, granted anonymity to speak freelyThey want to engage with Waltz,
that person said of the Ukrainian position
The coming weeks could be very busy in diplomacy,
Zelenskyy said Saturday on social media ,He speaks for all of us,
one White House ally said of VanceAnti-American feelings are growing,
the official addedI’m with the vice president,
Trump saidThere can be a lack of clarity” for how Trump “communicates issues beyond his priorities,
he saidWe hope that Munich will be utilized, and we also have indications that it will be used to make progress towards peace in Ukraine."
In response, conference chairman Heusgen has remained cautious