15.12.2025 08:52
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and the delegation led by U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Representative for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, had a meeting in Berlin, the capital of Germany, that lasted over 5 hours, but no results were achieved. It was announced that the discussions will continue tomorrow.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hosted a negotiation delegation led by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, along with U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East Special Representative Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner in the capital Berlin. Zelensky and Witkoff, welcomed by Merz, sat down with their delegations to negotiate the end of the war in Ukraine.
DRAFT DOCUMENTS DISCUSSED
Reports in the German press indicated that Chancellor Merz left the meeting room early, but his advisor remained in the room to continue the discussions. Meanwhile, the Berlin leg of the negotiations concluded after more than 5 hours on the first day. Dmytro Lytvyn, one of Zelensky's advisors, stated, "The talks lasted more than 5 hours and concluded for today, set to resume tomorrow morning." Lytvyn mentioned that President Zelensky would provide an assessment of the discussions after they concluded in Berlin on Monday. The Ukrainian official expressed that the parties discussed draft documents during the meeting.
ZELENSKY WAS EXPECTED TO REQUEST A FREEZE ON THE FRONT LINE
Before arriving in Berlin, Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that he would seek support from the U.S. to freeze the front line during the negotiations. Zelensky said, "The fairest option is to stay where we are now. This would be the right thing to do, as it is a ceasefire. I know that Russia does not view this positively, but I would like the Americans to support us on this matter," he stated. The Ukrainian leader expressed, "The summit in Berlin is important. We will meet with both Americans and Europeans here."
"WE MAY GIVE UP ON OUR GOAL OF NATO MEMBERSHIP"
Zelensky also indicated in a conversation with journalists via WhatsApp today that Ukraine might give up its goal of NATO membership as a concession in peace talks in exchange for security guarantees to be provided to them. The Ukrainian leader stated, "NATO membership has been Ukraine's desire from the very beginning. There are real security guarantees at stake here. However, some partners from the U.S. and Europe do not support this goal," he said.
Zelensky stated, "Therefore, today, the bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the U.S., guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5 from the U.S., and security guarantees to be provided by our European friends, as well as other countries like Canada and Japan, present an opportunity to prevent a new Russian invasion." He emphasized that the security guarantees to be provided to Ukraine should be legally binding, stating, "This is a concession on our part."