US-Ukraine talks in Berlin: WSJ learns of difficulties and disagreements
Kyiv • UNN
Representatives of the Trump administration held five-hour talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin, which were described as "difficult." The US is increasing pressure on Ukraine to conclude a peace agreement with Russia by the end of the year, but the parties have significant disagreements.
On Sunday in Berlin, US President Donald Trump's top envoys held five hours of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which one person briefed on them described as "difficult," amid the administration's increasing pressure on Ukraine to reach a peace deal with Russia by the end of the year, The Wall Street Journal reports, noting the main points of contention, writes UNN.
Negotiations between Ukraine and its Western partners have turned into a tug-of-war, even without Russia at the table. Washington is pushing for quick solutions, while Zelenskyy and his European backers argue that substantial differences remain to be resolved
Details
Talks will continue on Monday, with several European leaders expected to join.
"Among the key points of contention is Ukraine's refusal of Washington's call to withdraw its troops from the part of Donbas in the east" held by Ukrainian forces. "European and Ukrainian officials insisted on a clear definition of what the US would do if Russia violated a peace agreement and attacked Ukraine," the publication notes.
Both issues, it is noted, will be at the center of the Berlin talks. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposed these meetings during a conversation between European leaders and Trump on Wednesday.
After Sunday's talks concluded late in the evening, Trump administration's envoy for Russia, Steve Witkoff, stated on X that both sides had held in-depth discussions on the peace plan. "Significant progress has been made, and they will meet again tomorrow morning," he said.
"Significant progress has been made" - Witkoff on talks in Berlin14.12.25, 22:56 • 26663 views
One person briefed on Sunday's talks described them as difficult, saying the American side seemed unwilling to compromise on its draft peace proposal
Late last week, Trump said he had been invited to join the Berlin talks but publicly expressed doubt about the advisability of traveling. He sent Witkoff and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, after Zelenskyy indicated flexibility on his negotiating position, a White House official said.
Over the past few weeks, Witkoff has alternated between meetings with the Kremlin in Moscow and separate talks with Kyiv in the US or Europe.
Russian officials said the US peace plan was a good basis for discussion but did not say whether they would accept it. Many European officials doubt that the Kremlin is seeking to end the war. They said that Europe and all NATO countries face the risk that if Russia wins in Ukraine, the Kremlin will target conflict with European neighbors.
On Wednesday, Ukraine sent Washington its response to a previous US proposal to end the war. "While there is agreement on some points, including limiting the Ukrainian armed forces to 800,000 personnel in peacetime, Kyiv continues to reject US insistence on ceding territory in the Donetsk region still held by Ukrainian forces," the publication writes.
"The US plan would entail Kyiv agreeing not to fight to reclaim territories it has lost to Russia elsewhere, and could mean official US recognition of Moscow's annexation of parts of Ukraine. This would also further complicate Kyiv's hopes of eventually joining NATO, while potentially bringing Russia back into the global economy, including through joint US-Russian projects," the publication indicates.
Speaking to reporters via WhatsApp before Sunday morning's talks, Zelenskyy said Kyiv had not yet received a response from Washington to its proposal. He said Ukraine had "done a lot so that all parties could meet" and regretted that peace talks were driven by power politics rather than values.
"Look, today we are not talking about honesty, but about strength," he said. "Because if we are talking about honesty, values, and respect for international law, the Russians should have been condemned from the very beginning."
Zelenskyy also stated on Sunday that he is open to discussing the future of the heavily fortified part of Donetsk region that Ukraine still holds. He said the fairest option would be to start negotiations with Russia based on the current front line, rather than a forced withdrawal of troops, and said that if Ukrainian troops withdraw from the area, Russia must also agree to withdraw its troops.
He said the issue was "very delicate and very hot." Under Ukrainian law, he said, the President cannot cede territory, and that the issue must ultimately be decided by the Ukrainian people, possibly through a referendum.
One of the key disagreements between the US and Ukraine lies in their assessments of the battlefield and how this should influence negotiations, the publication notes.
Regarding security guarantees and NATO
According to European and Ukrainian officials, "in addition to territory, the Berlin talks are expected to focus on negotiations regarding security guarantees for Ukraine."
Great Britain, France, and other European capitals have developed detailed plans for the types of assistance they could provide to Ukraine, including the possible deployment of "assurance forces" in the country, and have discussed them with American military officials. But Washington has not yet made a political decision on the assistance it will provide, according to Ukraine and Europe.
Initially, Ukraine hoped for NATO membership, with the commitment that an attack on one member is an attack on all. On Sunday, Zelenskyy acknowledged that NATO membership appears blocked, and that he is focused on legally binding security guarantees from the US and Europe that would be similar to those codified in Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty.
Zelenskyy said he hopes Congress will support the US role in repelling a future Russian invasion.
On Friday, a French official "reiterated the importance of Washington providing Ukraine with a clear understanding of its role in security guarantees before Ukraine commits to ceding territory."
Moscow said it would strongly object if proposals developed by Kyiv and Brussels were included in the peace plan, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuriy Ushakov said on Sunday. Russia would likely object to provisions including a demilitarized zone in the Donetsk region, he said. "There may be some provisions that are absolutely unacceptable to us, particularly those concerning territorial issues," he said. "The issue of territories was actively discussed here in Moscow. The Americans not only know but also understand our position," Ushakov said. Ukraine will also never be able to reclaim Crimea or secure NATO membership, he said. Regarding Ukraine's entry into NATO, he said that "there is also a million percent guarantee that this will not happen."