Zelenskyy, US envoys hold Berlin talks as peace efforts stall over security guarantees

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

and US envoys arrived in Berlin on Sunday for another round of talks aimed at negotiating an end to the Russia-Ukraine war , even as Moscow and Kyiv remained entrenched in sharply opposing positions on the contours of any prospective peace deal.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian, US and European officials would hold a series of meetings in the German capital, including his personal talks with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner . He is also scheduled to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and possibly other European leaders later in the day.

Responding to journalists in audio messages shared via a WhatsApp group chat, Zelenskyy underlined Ukraine’s demand for firm, NATO-like security guarantees from the United States and European allies, particularly after Ukraine’s bid to formally join NATO was stonewalled. Such guarantees, he said, were essential to deter future aggression. “These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression,” Zelenskyy said, calling the demand “already a compromise” by Ukraine.

He stressed that any assurances must be legally binding and backed by the US Congress, adding that he was awaiting feedback following a meeting between Ukrainian and US military officials in Stuttgart. Zelenskyy also said he had not yet received a response from Washington to Kyiv’s latest peace proposals.

The renewed diplomatic push comes as the United States, under pressure from President Trump to secure a swift end to the conflict, continues to navigate competing demands from both sides. Progress, however, remains hampered by deep divisions over territorial control, particularly in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, much of which is occupied by Russian forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that Ukrainian forces withdraw from remaining Kyiv-held parts of Donetsk as a key condition for peace, a demand Zelenskyy again flatly rejected .

Zelenskyy revealed that the US had floated a proposal for Ukraine to withdraw from Donetsk and establish a demilitarised free economic zone, an idea he dismissed as unworkable. Raising a pointed question that underscores Kyiv’s concerns, he asked: who would control such a zone and enforce security? “If Ukrainian troops withdraw five to 10 kilometres, why do Russian troops not withdraw deeper into the occupied territories by the same distance?” Zelenskyy asked, calling the issue “very sensitive.”

He reiterated Ukraine’s position that a freeze along the existing line of contact remains the fairest option, saying, “Today, a fair possible option is we stand where we stand.”

From Moscow, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Russian police and national guard forces would remain in parts of Donetsk even if the area were declared demilitarised under a peace plan. Ushakov warned that the search for compromise could take a long time, accusing Ukraine and its European allies of diluting US proposals that had earlier considered Russian demands.

Speaking to Russian state television, Ushakov said Moscow would have “very strong objections” to the revised proposals, adding that territorial issues were discussed during Witkoff and Kushner’s recent meeting with Putin.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Friedrich Merz , who has led European support efforts alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer , warned that “the decades of the Pax Americana are largely over” for Europe. He cautioned that Putin’s goal was a fundamental redrawing of Europe’s borders, a claim the Russian leader has denied.

Despite the diplomatic engagements, the war continued to intensify on the battlefield. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched ballistic missiles and 138 attack drones overnight , with 110 intercepted , though strikes were recorded at six locations .

Zelenskyy said hundreds of thousands of families across southern, eastern and north-eastern Ukraine remained without power, heat and water following large-scale attacks. He said Russia had launched over 1,500 drones, nearly 900 guided bombs and 46 missiles at Ukraine in the past week alone. “Ukraine needs peace on decent terms, and we are ready to work as constructively as possible,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the coming days would be “filled with diplomacy.”

Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its air defences downed 235 Ukrainian drones , while regional officials reported damage and injuries in Belgorod, Volgograd and Krasnodar regions, including fires at an oil depot and explosions near a refinery.

As diplomacy and warfare unfold in parallel, the Berlin talks highlight the central unresolved question hanging over the negotiations: can security guarantees and territorial compromises be forged without undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty or Russia’s red lines?