The talks between the US and Ukrainian delegations in Berlin on December 14 took place in a tense atmosphere and revealed serious differences. According to sources familiar with the meeting, the American side took a tough stance, refusing to make concessions on key points of Washington’s proposed peace plan.
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Whitcoff and White House son-in-law Jared Kushner held more than five hours of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They discussed a 20-point plan to resolve the conflict, including issues of territory, security, and economic zones. Although Whitcoff later spoke of “significant progress” and announced that the meetings would continue, informed sources on the sidelines of the talks described them as “difficult.” According to them, the American delegation “is unwilling to compromise on the draft peace agreement.”
Washington insists on quick decisions, including possible territorial concessions by Kyiv, such as the creation of a demilitarized economic zone in the Donetsk region. Ukraine, in turn, rejects these proposals as unfair and demands reliable security guarantees in exchange for abandoning its NATO aspirations — a step that Zelensky has called “already a compromise.”
European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, expressed concern that the American proposals “lean in favor of Russia.” Merz emphasized that any peace agreement must take Europe’s interests into account and cannot be imposed without Kiev’s participation.
Negotiations will continue on December 15 with the participation of European partners. However, observers believe that the lack of flexibility on the part of the US could prolong the process and complicate the achievement of agreements by the end of the year, as required by the Trump administration.