Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held intensive talks in Berlin with US envoys tied to President Trump, seeking a ceasefire without pre-emptive territorial concessions. US negotiators were reported to be pressing Kyiv to cede parts of the Donbas, a demand Ukraine rejects as a red line. German leaders hosted the talks and called the negotiations unusually serious, while European and NATO officials gathered to show support. Zelensky said Washington hoped to have the contours of a deal by Christmas, and Kyiv signalled it might forego NATO membership if given solid security guarantees.
Berlin Talks Resume as Donbas Remains the Main Sticking Point
'The fairest possible option is to stay where we are,' Volodymyr Zelensky said (Guido Bergmann)(Guido Bergmann/Presse- und Informationsamt der Bundesregierung/AFP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continued intensive talks in Berlin on Monday with envoys tied to US President Donald Trump, seeking a diplomatic path to end the war with Russia. Despite reports of progress, core territorial questions — particularly control of the eastern Donbas region — remained unresolved.
Steve Witkoff, one of the US special envoys, posted on X that the delegations had made "a lot of progress" after a Sunday meeting that also involved Jared Kushner. Kyiv, which has been fighting since Moscow's invasion in February 2022, insists any ceasefire must not require pre-emptive territorial concessions.
"Putin wants territory," an official briefed on the talks told AFP, adding that US negotiators were reportedly pressing Ukraine to withdraw from parts of the Donbas — a demand Kyiv called a red line. "It's a bit striking that the Americans are taking the Russians' position on this issue," the official said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who hosted the talks in Berlin, was set to meet Zelensky ahead of an evening gathering of European leaders and the heads of NATO and the European Union to demonstrate international support for Ukraine. Central Berlin was placed under tight security for the visit, with road closures, rooftop snipers, dog patrols and anti-drone units on standby.
Negotiation Positions and Stakes
The talks followed a controversial 28-point plan published last month that Kyiv and many European partners viewed as heavily weighted in Russia's favor. Ukraine has presented counter-proposals since then. Zelensky said Kyiv could consider abandoning its bid for NATO membership if it received concrete and reliable security guarantees in return.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the NATO question "is one of the cornerstones and requires special discussion," and added that Moscow expected the United States to clarify the concept being discussed in Berlin. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the negotiations as unusually serious and intensive but warned that success would depend on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin actually wants to end the war.
Throughout the day, Zelensky's schedule included meetings with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and a Ukrainian-German business conference with Chancellor Merz, followed by a joint press conference. In the evening, European leaders including Britain, Italy, Poland and Finland were expected to join the dinner in support of Ukraine. Berlin said French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would also attend.
Zelensky said there was no strict deadline but noted that Washington hoped to have the contours of an agreement outlined by Christmas. "The most important thing is that the plan should be as fair as possible, first and foremost for Ukraine, because Russia started the war," he told reporters.
Context: The negotiations in Berlin are a high-stakes diplomatic effort to halt a brutal conflict that has reshaped European security and put territorial integrity, alliance membership and long-term guarantees at the center of debate.
