Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer puts his hand on the shoulder of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as he departs 10 Downing Street, London, on December 8, 2025. | Photo Credit: AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday (December 14, 2025) he hoped the United States would back the idea of freezing the front line in Ukraine along its current shape at their meeting in Berlin. He said he was ready for “dialogue” at the latest round of high-stakes talks with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy and European leaders on ending the war with Russia.
He arrived in Berlin on Sunday evening (December 14) for two days of talks with European leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys on ending the war with Russia.
“The fairest possible option is to ‘stay where we are’. This is true because it is a ceasefire… I know that Russia does not view this positively, and I would like the Americans to support us on this issue,” Zelenskyy told reporters shortly before arriving in Berlin.
Mr. Trump has been stepping up pressure on Kyiv to reach an agreement since revealing a plan to end the war last month that was criticised as echoing Moscow’s demands, including that Ukraine cede crucial territory.
The proposal has triggered a flurry of diplomacy between the United States and Ukraine’s European allies, with Kyiv officials recently saying they had sent Washington a revised version.
Mr. Zelenskyy said on Sunday (December 14) he had not received a response from Washington on Ukraine’s amendments, but added: “I am receiving all the signals and will be ready for the dialogue that will begin today.”
“The summit in Berlin is important. We are meeting with both the Americans and the Europeans… And today these meetings are taking place in Berlin, today and tomorrow,” Mr. Zelenskyy added.
A White House official confirmed to AFP on Friday (December 12) that Mr. Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff would meet with Mr. Zelenskyy and European leaders over the weekend to discuss the status of peace negotiations.
“The most important thing is that the plan should be as fair as possible, first and foremost for Ukraine, because Russia started the war,” Mr. Zelenskyy said on Sunday (December 14).
While fighting raged on in Ukraine, Zelensky was expected to be greeted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who on Monday is also due to host other European leaders, among them Britain’s Keir Starmer, and the heads of NATO and the EU.
Mr. Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were seen entering a Berlin hotel on Sunday (December 14), as were top Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov and a German senior official, Bild daily reported.
The German chancellery and the U,S. embassy, contacted by AFP, declined to comment on that meeting.
The latest push in the efforts to put an end to the war that has killed tens of thousands since Russia invaded in 2022 comes as Kyiv reported new aerial strikes.
Published – December 14, 2025 07:31 pm IST
