Ukraine drops NATO goal as peace talks in Berlin extend into second day
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Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz (right) and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner (second from left) react as US special envoy Steve Witkoff (centre) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky greet each other prior to the meeting in Berlin.
PHOTO: AFP
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BERLIN/KYIV - President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to relinquish Ukraine’s ambition of joining the NATO military alliance
No more details were immediately available of the meetings between Mr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in the latest push to end Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War Two.
Mr Zelensky’s adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said the president would comment on the talks on Dec 15 once they were completed. Officials, Mr Lytvyn said, were considering the draft documents.
“They went on for more than five hours and ended for today with an agreement to resume tomorrow morning,” Mr Lytvyn told reporters in a WhatsApp chat.
Ahead of the talks, Mr Zelensky offered to drop Ukraine’s goal to join NATO in exchange for Western security guarantees.
The move marks a major shift for Ukraine, which has fought to join NATO as a safeguard against Russian attacks and has such an aspiration included in its constitution. It also meets one of Russia’s war aims, although Kyiv has so far held firm against ceding territory to Moscow.
Mr Zelensky met the US envoys at talks hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who a source said had made brief remarks before leaving the two sides to negotiate.
Other European leaders are also due in Germany for talks on Dec 15.
“From the very beginning, Ukraine’s desire was to join NATO, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the US and Europe did not support this direction,” Mr Zelensky said in answer to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat.
“Thus, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the US, Article 5-like guarantees for us from the US, and security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries – Canada, Japan – are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion,” Mr Zelensky said.
“And it is already a compromise on our part,” he said, adding the security guarantees should be legally binding.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded Ukraine officially renounce its NATO ambitions and withdraw its troops
Russian sources said earlier in 2025 that Mr Putin wants a “written” pledge by major Western powers not to enlarge the US-led NATO alliance eastwards – shorthand for formally ruling out membership to Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and other former Soviet republics.
The choice to send Mr Witkoff, who has led negotiations with Ukraine and Russia on a US peace proposal, appeared to be a signal that Washington saw a chance of progress nearly four years after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Under pressure from Mr Trump to sign a peace deal that initially backed Moscow’s demands, Mr Zelensky accused Russia of dragging out the war through deadly bombings of cities and Ukraine’s power and water supplies.
He said Ukraine, the Europeans and the US are looking at a 20-point plan and at the end of this there is a ceasefire.
A ceasefire along the current front lines would be a fair option, he added.
‘Critical moment’
Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said it was a “good sign” Mr Trump had sent his envoys while fielding questions in an interview with the ZDF broadcaster on the suitability of Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner, two businessmen, as negotiators.
“It’s certainly anything but an ideal setup for such negotiations. That much is clear. But as they say, you can only dance with the people on the dance floor,” Mr Pistorius said.
On the issue of Ukraine’s offer to give up its NATO aspirations in exchange for security guarantees, Mr Pistorius said Ukraine had bitter prior experience of relying on security assurances. Kyiv had in 1994 agreed to give up its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal in exchange for territorial guarantees from the US, Russia and Britain.
“Therefore, it remains to be seen to what extent this statement Zelensky has now made will actually hold true, and what preconditions must be met,” Mr Pistorius said.
“This concerns territorial issues, commitments from Russia and others,” he said, adding mere security guarantees, especially without significant US involvement, “wouldn’t be worth much.”
Britain, France and Germany have been working to refine the US proposals, which in a draft disclosed in November called for Kyiv to cede more territory, abandon its NATO ambitions and accept limits on its armed forces.
European allies have described this as a “critical moment” that could shape Ukraine’s future, and sought to shore up Kyiv’s finances by leveraging frozen Russian central bank assets to fund Kyiv’s military and civilian budget. REUTERS
