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Under heavy security, U.S. and Ukrainian delegations continue their second round of negotiations in Berlin, which German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier described as “never more serious than today.”
On Monday morning (December 15, 2025), security authorities raised the threat level to “Level 0” – higher than the usual Level 1 reserved for top-ranking guests – as talks resumed on ending the war in Ukraine.
The negotiations brought together the U.S. delegation led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump, and the Ukrainian delegation headed by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky’s priority is to discuss his latest proposals regarding Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which aims to achieve a ceasefire. Trump has pushed to end the war that has lasted nearly four years, while Kyiv and its European allies seek to avoid a settlement that favors Russia.
Key issues remain unresolved, including possible Ukrainian territorial concessions, future security guarantees for Kyiv, and whether Moscow would accept any Western proposal.
Zelensky stressed that “the most important thing is for the plan to be as fair as possible for Ukraine, because Russia started the war.” Referring to the Donbas region, he said: “The fairest option is to stay where we are.” However, AFP cited a source saying Washington is still pressing Ukraine to cede Donbas to Russia.
Meanwhile, the European Union is working to agree on a plan to finance Ukraine in the coming years, with leaders expected to discuss a proposal to use frozen Russian assets at a summit on Thursday. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters: “We haven’t reached that stage yet, it’s getting harder, but we are working and still have a few days.”
Sources - Agencies
