US Envoys Expected in Berlin as Ukraine Peace Talks Enter Critical Phase
U.S. envoys were set to arrive in Berlin on Sunday for another round of talks intended to secure a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were expected to land in Berlin to take part in a series of meetings on Sunday and Monday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian, U.S. and European officials will hold a series of meetings in Berlin in the coming days.
“Most importantly, I will be meeting with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace — a political agreement to end the war,” Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation late Saturday.
“The chance is considerable at this moment, and it matters for our every city, for our every Ukrainian community,” Zelenskyy said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that Ukraine withdraw its forces from the Donetsk region and abandon its bid to join NATO among the key conditions for peace — demands Kyiv has rejected.
Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov told the business daily Kommersant that Russian police and national guard troops would stay in parts of eastern Donbas even if they become a demilitarized zone under a prospective peace plan — a demand likely to be rejected by Ukraine as U.S.-led negotiations drag on.
Ushakov warned that a search for compromise could take a long time, noting that the U.S. proposals that took into account Russian demands had been “worsened” by alterations proposed by Ukraine and its European allies.
“We don’t know what changes they are making, but clearly they aren’t for the better,” Ushakov said, adding: “We will strongly insist on our considerations.”
As peace efforts continued, Russia and Ukraine exchanged another round of aerial attacks.
Ukraine’s air force said overnight Russia launched ballistic missiles and 138 attack drones at Ukraine. In its daily report, the air force said 110 had been intercepted or downed but missile and drone hits were recorded at six locations.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 235 Ukrainian drones late Saturday and early Sunday.
