US President Donald Trump’s foreign envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Germany this weekend to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders for talks about ending the war in Ukraine.
Witkoff, who is leading the White House’s mediation efforts between Ukraine and Russia, is expected to discuss the latest version of a proposed peace deal in Berlin.
The Trump administration is pushing for a deal before Christmas and has held several rounds of talks with Ukrainian and Russian officials in recent weeks, although progress has been limited.
It has not yet been confirmed which European leaders will attend the Berlin meeting, but The Wall Street Journal reported that UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are expected to participate.
The meeting comes days after Ukraine presented a revised 20-point peace plan to the United States, continuing diplomatic efforts that began in late November.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said Russia carried out bombing raids in the southern region on Friday, while Russian authorities reported deaths following a drone strike in Saratov.
Discussions continue to focus on the future of the territory of eastern Ukraine: kyiv rejects any withdrawal from the occupied areas and Moscow insists on full control of the Donbas region.
Zelensky has expressed skepticism about a U.S. proposal that would see Ukrainian forces withdraw from the area and have the territory designated a “special economic zone.”
“What will stop [Russia] to move forward? Or infiltrate disguised as civilians? said.
Despite differing opinions, Ukraine and its European partners have said the talks have led to changes to previous proposals.
However, there have been signs of growing frustration in Washington, with Trump criticizing European leaders and calling elections in Ukraine.
Zelensky said elections could be held within 90 days if the United States and Europe provided security guarantees.
While talks continue, European discussions are also focusing on funding and security support, with the Ukrainian government seeking additional funding and the European Union agreeing to freeze Russian assets that could be used to support Ukraine under a future deal.
(BBC)
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