German President, FM meet US Vice President

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier met US Vice President JD Vance before the start of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, reported dpa.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Wolfgang Schmidt, the head of the Chancellery, also took part in the talks, as did US special envoy Richard Grenell, the former US ambassador to Germany.

In the early afternoon, Vance is scheduled to have a conversation with Friedrich Merz, the conservative opposition leader and front-runner to become the next German chancellor after elections on February 23.

Current Chancellor Olaf Scholz is not expected in Munich until Saturday.

Vance's speech at the high-level gathering of political leaders and defence experts is set for 2:30 pm (1330 GMT) and is the most anticipated of the three-day forum.

Vance has come to Munich to explain the Trump administration's foreign and security policy to European allies.

Shortly before the conference, Trump spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and announced peace talks on Ukraine were starting "immediately," catching EU leaders off guard.