WASHINGTON/KYIV (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that U.S. and Russian officials would meet in Munich on Friday and that Ukraine was also invited, however Kyiv responded that it did not expect to hold talks with Russia in the German city.
“They’re having a meeting in Munich tomorrow. Russia’s going to be there with our people. Ukraine is also invited, by the way. Not sure exactly who’s going to be there from any country, but high-level people from Russia, from Ukraine and from the United States,” Trump told reporters.
When asked for further details, the White House declined comment. Global political and military leaders are gathering in Germany for the Munich Security Conference.
Ukraine does not expect to hold talks with the Russian side in Munich on Friday and believes the United States, Europe and Ukraine need a common position before talks with Moscow, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s communications adviser said.
“Talks with Russians in Munich are not expected,” the Ukrainian communications adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, said.
Russia’s embassy in Washington and mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump’s remarks.
Trump said later on Thursday: “Tomorrow there’s a meeting in Munich and then next week, there’s a meeting in Saudi Arabia, not with myself or President Putin, but with top officials. And Ukraine will be a part of it too.”
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols, Steve Holland, Max Hunder, Tom Balmforth and Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Jasper Ward and Sandra Maler)
