The second round of talks between US and Ukrainian delegations concluded after five hours, as announced by the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is in Berlin discussing a potential peace plan aimed at ending the war with envoys from US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The head of Ukraine’s diplomatic negotiating team and Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, stated that American and Ukrainian officials achieved “real progress” and expressed hope that both sides would reach an agreement by the end of the day. “Over the past two days, Ukrainian-American negotiations have been constructive and productive, and real progress has been achieved. We hope to reach an agreement that will bring us closer to peace by the end of the day. There is a lot of noise and anonymous speculation in the media right now. Please do not be misled by rumors and provocations” Umerov wrote on platform X.
Ukraine war: Americans insist Ukraine agrees to withdraw forces from Donetsk
“The American team led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner is working extremely constructively to help Ukraine find a way to a lasting peace agreement. The Ukrainian team is extremely grateful to President Trump and his team for all the efforts they are making,” he added.
According to news network n-tv, a senior official stated that, contrary to media reports, Ukraine has not declared it is abandoning its intention to join NATO, while the US has not yet presented details on the security guarantees that Kyiv is seeking.
As Reuters reports, American negotiators insisted in Sunday’s talks that Ukraine agree to withdraw its forces from the Donetsk region, noting that territorial issues are central to Russia. The source cited by the agency, an official with knowledge of the discussions, said the territorial issue remained unresolved today and that the Ukrainian delegation responded on Sunday that further discussions were required.
The outcome of Zelensky’s talks with Europeans
Subsequently, the Ukrainian president will hold talks with German officials, while it remains unknown whether American participation will be included in tonight’s dinner with European partners.
According to government spokesman Stefan Cornelius, it is not yet certain whether the two American negotiators, President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, will participate in tonight’s meeting with European leaders. However, he clarified that they have been invited.
The discussion, Mr. Cornelius noted, will focus “on the issues of territory and security“. Specifically the security issue, he added, “will ultimately determine whether this war will truly stop and whether it will reignite or whether a reignition can be prevented and avoided“.
French President Emmanuel Macron will also travel to Berlin to attend the new round of talks on Ukraine peace, his office announced.
The leaders of Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte are among those expected to participate in tonight’s talks in Berlin.
Zelensky – Steinmeier meeting
Volodymyr Zelensky meanwhile met earlier with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who welcomed him with an embrace, saying “Hello, my friend!“. He also visited the federal parliament, where he was received by President Julia Klöckner and will later go to the chancellery for a meeting with Friedrich Merz.
Berlin has been implementing the strictest possible security protocol since the weekend, with more than 3,600 police officers securing the movement of leaders participating in the Ukraine talks. Traffic problems are extensive as the city center is blocked off, while delays and changes are also occurring in public transportation routes.
