Key points
- Zelenskyy seeks security guarantees from US, allies
- Five-hour talks focus on peace, economics
- Follow-up meeting scheduled after progress
ISTANBUL: US and Ukrainian representatives met in Berlin to discuss a 20-point peace plan and economic agendas, as per a readout of the meeting. The discussions were attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, and delegations from both nations.
The talks, which lasted over five hours, focused on the peace plan, economic issues, and other related topics.
According to Witkoff’s statement on the social media platform X, significant progress was made, and the two sides are scheduled to meet the following morning, reports Anadolu Agency.
Germany hosted the meeting in advance of a larger summit on Monday evening, where Zelenskyy will meet European leaders, along with representatives from the EU and NATO. It remains uncertain whether US officials will participate in this upcoming summit.
Peace framework
Zelenskyy arrived in Berlin on Sunday for discussions about a potential ceasefire and a peace framework with Russia.
Prior to the meeting, the Ukrainian president stated that Kyiv is now seeking bilateral security guarantees with the United States, along with similar guarantees from European nations, Canada, and Japan.
This meeting is the latest in a series of talks aimed at creating a peace framework to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Previous discussions were held in Switzerland and the US. In November, officials convened in Geneva to finalise a “refined peace framework,” which updated a previous 28-point US plan.
On December 2, Witkoff and Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss the framework, and follow-up talks were held in Florida, which both sides described as constructive.
