Zelensky Meets U.S. Envoys in Berlin for Talks on Ending Ukraine War
Ukrainian president Zelensky, as well as US envoys Witkoff and Kushner have arrived in Berlin ahead of two-day multilateral talks on how to negotiate an end to the Ukrainian war.
BERLIN — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Sunday with senior U.S. envoys in Berlin as part of two days of high-level talks aimed at finding a path to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, launching a new round of crisis diplomacy involving European and American leaders.
The meeting included Steve Witkoff, a special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to Ukrainian and German officials. Trump has pressed for an end to the nearly four-year-old conflict, though major disputes remain over territorial concessions, future security guarantees for Ukraine and whether Russia would accept any negotiated settlement.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed Zelensky and the U.S. delegation, releasing a short video of their arrival. NATO’s top military commander in Europe, U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, also joined the talks.
“We began our meeting,” Zelensky wrote on Facebook, posting photos of the discussions. Merz said on X that the leaders were seeking “a lasting peace in Ukraine,” acknowledging that “difficult questions lie ahead” but stressing that “Ukrainian interests are also European interests.”
The Berlin meetings mark one of the most significant diplomatic efforts in months as Western allies attempt to coordinate positions ahead of any potential negotiations with Moscow.
On Monday, Merz is scheduled to host Zelensky at a German-Ukrainian business conference before a dinner attended by European heads of state and government, as well as leaders from NATO and the European Union.
Zelensky said he is urging Washington to support a proposal to freeze the front lines where they currently stand, rather than accept Russia’s demand that Ukraine cede the entire Donbas region.
“The fairest possible option is to stay where we are,” Zelensky said during an online briefing. “This is a ceasefire. I know Russia does not see this positively, and I would like the Americans to support us on this issue.”
No agreements were announced, and officials cautioned that any breakthrough would require further negotiations and Russian participation.