Berlin talks moved the needle towards peace.
The US envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, hailed the fact that 90% of sticking points have been resolved, and the Chief Ukrainian Negotiator celebrated ‘real progress’ in the talks.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised Donald J. Trump for the positive momentum in the peace process:
“He says that without the US president, there would not have been the positive dynamic that there was during talks in Berlin.
He goes on to say ‘we have a chance of a real peace in Ukraine’ and hails the biggest diplomatic efforts since the war began.
‘We know the price of war and we know the price of peace’, he says, paying tribute to the key role played by US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.”
US officials on Russia-Ukraine negotiations:
-90% of sticking points resolved
-US prepared to help Ukraine to facilitate a lasting peace
-On Zaporizhzhia, still a gap between Russia and Ukraine but both want it repaired and operational; close to agreement for 50-50 split on…— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) December 15, 2025
However, there is still the most difficult issue of the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the part of the Donetsk region that it still controls.
Reuters reported:
“U.S. peace negotiators have told Ukraine during peace talks in Berlin that it must agree to withdraw its forces from the eastern Donetsk region as part of any deal to end the nearly four-year-old war, an official familiar with the matter said.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity as Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators concluded a second day of talks in the German capital, said Kiev had requested further discussions. A second person familiar with the talks said there were still major gaps on the territorial issue.”
The delegations of the United States and Ukraine achieved “a lot of progress” during negotiations in the German capital of Berlin, US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff stated:https://t.co/3Y1cUlItmY pic.twitter.com/ARBsqHFXQR
— TASS (@tassagency_en) December 15, 2025
The two sides are making concessions, with Volodymyr Zelensky accepting that Ukraine will not seek NATO membership, and also floating the possibility of holding elections during martial law.
As for the Russians, they have agreed for Ukraine to become an EU member – a decision that’s not new, but has been circulated again.
Associated Press reported:
“Russia has indicated it’s open to Ukraine joining the European Union as part of a potential peace deal aimed at ending Russia’s war on Ukraine, and there’s now consensus on about 90% of the U.S.-authored peace plan, U.S. officials said Monday.
[…] Kushner and Witkoff are expected to meet over dinner on Monday evening with Ukrainian as well British, German and French leaders for further talks. Trump, who has been briefed twice on the Berlin talks, plans to dial in to the dinner from Washington.”
The peace process between Russia and Ukraine, as we know, is impossible to take to a positive conclusion. But the impossible seems to be the Trump team specialty.
Read more:
SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY: US Envoys Witkoff and Kushner in Berlin for a New Round of Peace Talks With Ukrainians and Europeans
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