"We hope to be closer to peace by the end of the day," the Ukrainian chief negotiator said this afternoon. President Zelenskyy called the progress of the Berlin Ukraine talks so far"productive."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed cautious optimism regarding the progress of the Berlin negotiations on Ukraine's future. Talks between representatives of Ukraine and the United States were"not easy, but productive," Zelenskyy said late in the afternoon. Many details had been discussed, he added, though he did not provide specifics. He thanked German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for organizing the talks.
Zelenskyy and Merz had previously spoken directly with each other at the German-Ukrainian Economic Forum – a further meeting between the two is planned. Merz appealed to the EU member states to decide on the release of frozen Russian assets at the EU summit on Thursday."This sends a clear signal to Moscow that continuing this war is pointless for Moscow," said the Chancellor.
The Ukrainian president thanked German businesses for continuing their commitment to his country despite the Russian attack. Hardly any German companies had left Ukraine. His country appreciated the support of German citizens, the German government, and German businesses.
Umerow praises US negotiators
Shortly before, Ukrainian chief negotiator Rustem Umerov had already expressed his satisfaction with the progress of the talks in Berlin so far. The negotiations were"constructive and productive; real progress has been made," Umerov declared in online networks that afternoon."We hope that we will reach an agreement by the end of the day that brings us closer to peace."
Umerov praised US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who he said were working"extremely constructively" to find a lasting peace agreement. No official Russian representatives are participating in any of the talks in Berlin. However, it is assumed that they are in contact with US representatives through informal channels, as Armin Laschet, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, stated on ARD's morning news program.
The Ukrainian delegation, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, met on Sunday at the Chancellery with US Special Envoy Vitkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law and advisor, President Trump, for a meeting lasting approximately five hours. Vitkoff subsequently stated that"intensive discussions on the 20-point peace plan, economic agendas," and other topics had taken place, and that"significant progress" had been made. The talks continued on Monday, with the second round concluding around 1:00 PM.
Klöckner praises Zelenskyy's openness to new elections
Zelenskyy was subsequently received by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace. After the meeting, Zelenskyy went to the Reichstag building, where he was received by Bundestag President Julia Klöckner.
Zelenskyy had recently declared his willingness to hold elections within 60 to 90 days, even during the ongoing war with Russia, provided the US and Europe guaranteed security. Zelenskyy's announcement that he would pave the way for holding elections underscores Ukraine's determination to preserve its democratic order, Klöckner stated after the meeting."The president is sending a clear signal that his country intends to uphold the rule of law and democratic accountability, even under the extreme pressures of war."
Top-level meeting this evening
In the evening, a European summit is scheduled to take place in Berlin, which will be attended by, among others, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
in February 2022, illegally invaded.
