Ukraine and the United States are set to hold high-level discussions in Berlin this weekend on a potential ceasefire, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated readiness to abandon Kyiv’s long-standing ambition to join NATO in exchange for binding Western security guarantees.
The talks, hosted by Germany, bring together U.S., Ukrainian and European officials ahead of a broader summit with European leaders and Zelenskyy scheduled for Monday. A German government source confirmed that ceasefire discussions between foreign policy advisers from the U.S., Ukraine and other partners are taking place over the weekend.
Washington is represented by President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has led negotiations with both Kyiv and Moscow on a U.S.-backed peace proposal, alongside Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The decision to dispatch senior figures has been widely seen as a signal that the U.S. believes progress may be possible after nearly four years of war following Russia’s 2022 invasion.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner arrives at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, December 14, 2025. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Speaking to journalists in audio messages shared via a WhatsApp group chat, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was prepared to make a significant concession on NATO membership if credible alternatives were offered.
“These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression,” he said. “And this is already a compromise on our part.”
Zelenskyy stressed that any guarantees would need to be legally binding and backed by the U.S. Congress, adding that Kyiv expects assurances comparable to those enjoyed by NATO members. He also rejected U.S. proposals that would require Ukraine to cede territory to Russia as part of a peace settlement.
A U.S. official said earlier that Trump would only send an envoy to negotiations if he believed sufficient groundwork had been laid, underscoring the stakes of the Berlin meetings.
On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is due to host Zelenskyy and European leaders for a summit aimed at reinforcing political backing for Ukraine, as Kyiv faces increasing pressure from Washington to accept elements of a peace plan that, in an earlier draft, called for territorial concessions, limits on Ukraine’s armed forces and the abandonment of NATO aspirations.
Mounted police pass by the Chancellery following Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s arrival, in Berlin, Germany, December 14, 2025. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt
Britain, France and Germany have spent recent weeks attempting to soften aspects of the U.S. proposal. Merz said on Saturday that Europe must prepare for a profound shift in transatlantic relations while confronting what he described as a growing threat from Russia.
“The decades of Pax Americana are largely over for us in Europe, and for us in Germany as well,” Merz told a party congress in Munich. “The Americans are now very, very aggressively pursuing their own interests. And that can only mean one thing: that we, too, must now pursue our own interests.”
Zelenskyy said he would also hold separate discussions with Merz and potentially other European leaders, while awaiting updates from talks between Ukrainian and U.S. military officials taking place in Stuttgart.
