Zelensky, US envoys hold second round of Ukraine peace talks in Berlin
President Volodymyr Zelensky met U.S. envoys in Berlin on Dec. 15 to continue discussions on a plan for ending the Russia-Ukraine war, a source close to the Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent.
The meeting was a continuation of talks Zelensky held with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and advisor, a day earlier.
The source confirmed about an hour and a half later that the talks had concluded, with no further negotiations between Ukraine and the U.S. scheduled for the day. No details have been disclosed at the moment.
Following the meeting with U.S. envoys, Zelensky was received by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the presidential residence in Bellevue Palace, Suspilne reported.
While Witkoff said that a "lot of progress was made" during the initial talks on Dec. 14, the Wall Street Journal's undisclosed source described the five-hour Sunday meeting as difficult, with Washington seeming unwilling to compromise on its peace proposal as it pushes for a deal by the end of the year.
The negotiations are part of renewed diplomatic efforts that followed Washington's backing of a 28-point peace plan, which would impose punishing conditions on Ukraine. The proposal was subsequently reduced to 20 points following consultations with Ukrainian and European representatives.
Speaking ahead of the meeting in Berlin, Zelensky pushed back against a U.S.-backed idea for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from a proposed "demilitarized zone" in the partially Russian-occupied Donbas region.
Facing U.S. pressure to make territorial concessions in eastern regions, Zelensky said that such issues should be decided by the Ukrainian people, possibly through a referendum.
Zelensky also emphasized that any peace deal must be underpinned by ironclad security guarantees, similar to those outlined in NATO's Article 5.
The Ukrainian president is expected to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz later during the day. At around 7 p.m. local time, Zelensky will hold talks with the leaders of the U.K., the EU, and NATO, a source told the Kyiv Independent.
Trump has expressed frustration with Zelensky as Ukraine and its European allies have pushed back against Washington's initial 28-point peace plan, which mirrors some of Moscow's maximalist demands.
Kyiv and its European partners drafted a revised proposal and submitted it to Washington last week, although the U.S. has not yet officially responded to it.
The Kremlin has already said that any revisions by Ukraine and Europe are unlikely to be constructive and will likely be met with "sharp objections" from Russia.
Prior to the second round of talks, Zelensky met his Finnish counterpart, Alexander Stubb, who unexpectedly arrived in Berlin and reportedly also met Witkoff and Kushner.
Stubb has frequently participated in peace talks regarding Ukraine, partly due to his close contacts with Trump.
