Germany Selensky calls negotiations "productive"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the two-day negotiations with the USA on a peace solution for Ukraine in Berlin as "productive". At an economic forum, however, he also said that the talks as a whole were "not very easy". "It is important that peace is worthy", he emphasized. "In Europe, we must not forget where this war came from. Who brought it."
15.12.2025, 17:52
SDA
Selensky expressly thanked the European partners and Germany in particular. "European unity really does bring back justice," he said. "I am convinced that Germany will continue to be with us."
Merz speaks of a "daily nightmare"
In a very emotional speech, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has been "a daily nightmare for almost four years" - not only for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe. He personally attacked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his "criminal invasion" of Ukraine.
He made a very urgent plea for the EU to give the green light for Ukraine to use the frozen Russian assets at its summit on Thursday. This was a "key issue" that had to be resolved now. If this does not happen, Europe's ability to act will be "massively damaged".
Neither of them revealed details of the negotiations on the US peace plan, which currently has 20 points. However, Merz emphasized that Ukraine could rely on the support of the Europeans in these talks. A "genuine peace in freedom" must be the goal. Germany has a special responsibility in this regard. "And we accept this responsibility."
Talks in the "small cabinet room" since Sunday
Following initial five-hour talks on Sunday, Selensky and the US delegation led by special envoy Steve Witkoff met again today from 10.00 a.m. for talks in the small cabinet room of the Chancellery. The negotiations, which have been ongoing since November, focus on three sticking points:
* Territory: the most difficult issue is Ukraine's possible cession of territory. These are essential for Russia and not really acceptable for Ukraine. Although there are approaches to a solution, there is still no real movement in sight.
* Guarantees: On the other hand, there should be progress on security guarantees, which should prevent a new attack in the event of a peace settlement. On his way to Berlin, Zelensky had made it clear that joining NATO seemed hopeless for him at the moment. He announced binding "bilateral security guarantees" with the USA and other countries as a new negotiating objective. The guarantees should roughly correspond to Article Five of the NATO Treaty, which guarantees military assistance in the event of an attack. "This is already a compromise on our part," Selensky announced.
* Finances: The third issue is that of financial support for Ukraine. The Europeans want to use the Russian state bank's assets of around 185 billion euros frozen in the EU for the rearmament of Ukraine. Without these assets, the financial possibilities of the Europeans could soon reach their limits. And US President Donald Trump is no longer willing to spend money on the war.
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There is also a lot at stake for Merz personally
The fact that this meeting took place in Berlin at all is seen as a success on the German and European side. It demonstrated that the Europeans have a role to play in the negotiations on Ukraine - and that nothing will be decided over their heads.
Chancellor Merz can take personal credit for this. The next acid test for him will come on Thursday at the EU summit. He has taken the leading role among the supporters of the use of Russian state assets. Success or failure will therefore also be linked to his person.
US delegation satisfied
The US delegation had already expressed its satisfaction with the talks after the first day of negotiations. A "great deal of progress" had been made, Witkoff wrote on Platform X. The 20-point peace plan, economic issues and other questions had been discussed in depth. The US delegation also includes the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner.
What about Russia?
It is now up to the USA to discuss the results further with Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially kept a low profile. Russia has not yet been informed about the talks, said Peskov. "Only afterwards, when they have completed their work, will we receive the views that are being discussed today from our American counterparts." When asked whether a peace solution could be found by Christmas, Peskov only said that he did not want to give any specific dates.
Arms cooperation to be intensified
Zelensky's visit was also a so-called bilateral visit to Germany, which included meetings with the country's most important politicians. Selensky was received with a hug by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in front of Bellevue Palace and then visited Bundestag President Julia Klöckner in the Reichstag building.
On the fringes of the visit, the German government presented a ten-point plan to further expand arms cooperation with Ukraine. Among other things, it provides for the opening of a liaison office for the Ukrainian arms industry in Berlin and close cooperation in the construction of tens of thousands of combat drones developed by Ukraine in Germany. Germany also wants to use digital battlefield data from Ukraine and findings on the use of German weapons in the defensive campaign against Russia to improve the training of soldiers and the development of strategies.
