Berlin (TDI): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to engage in dialogue as high-level talks begin in Berlin, marking a renewed diplomatic effort involving the United States and Ukraine’s European partners to explore pathways toward ending the war with Russia.
Speaking ahead of the meetings, Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine had submitted an updated version of a peace proposal to Washington but had yet to receive a formal response. Despite this, he said Kyiv was receiving clear signals from its partners and was ready to enter discussions.
“The summit in Berlin is important. We are meeting with both the Americans and the Europeans,” Zelensky said, adding that consultations would continue over the next two days.
A White House official confirmed that US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to meet Zelensky and European leaders over the weekend to review the status of peace negotiations.
Zelensky admitted that pressure from Washington to reach a deal is mounting but made it clear that Ukraine has firm limits. He said Kyiv is ready to make difficult compromises, including putting its aspiration for NATO membership on hold for now, as long as it receives strong and reliable security guarantees from the United States to prevent any future Russian attack. At the same time, he stressed that Ukraine would not accept any agreement that involves giving up territory it currently controls.
The Ukrainian leader said he expected further details from Washington regarding proposed US security guarantees, calling fairness the cornerstone of any settlement. “The most important thing is that the plan should be as fair as possible, first and foremost for Ukraine, because Russia started the war,” he said.
The Berlin discussions come ahead of an intensive week of diplomacy. On Monday (Today), Zelensky is scheduled to meet senior European leaders and take part in the German Ukrainian Business Forum alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Later in the week, European Union member states are expected to vote on whether to channel part of the €210 billion in frozen Russian assets held in Europe into loans for Ukraine in 2026 and 2027.
The latest diplomatic push unfolds against a backdrop of continued fighting. Ukrainian officials reported fresh Russian aerial attacks overnight, with the air force saying Moscow launched 138 drones and a ballistic missile. A drone strike hit a hospital in the southern city of Kherson, wounding two people, including a nurse, according to regional authorities.
The war, now in its fourth year since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, even as international efforts intensify to bring the conflict closer to a negotiated end.
Minahil Khurshid holds a Master's in Peace and Conflict Studies from NUST. She is passionate about current affairs, public policy, and geopolitics.
