US-Ukraine Peace Talks Stall in Berlin Over Donbas Concessions

Two days of high-level diplomatic engagement concluded in Berlin on December 15, 2025, without an immediate breakthrough on a proposed peace framework for the Russia-Ukraine war. The talks, hosted at the German Chancellery by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, involved the Ukrainian and United States delegations and focused on a US-proposed 20-point plan, long-term security assurances for Kyiv, and economic stabilization measures. The initial session on Sunday, December 14, spanned over five hours, followed by a shorter follow-up on Monday.

The central point of contention remains the territorial integrity of Ukraine, specifically the Donbas region encompassing Donetsk and Luhansk. US envoys, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and advisor Jared Kushner, reportedly advocated for Ukraine to cede control over the entirety of Donbas, a condition Moscow has identified as fundamental to any settlement. This proposal contrasts sharply with domestic Ukrainian sentiment; a December 15 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) showed 75% of Ukrainians oppose peace plans requiring territorial concessions, though 72% would support a deal freezing the line of contact if robust security guarantees were included.

Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov described the meetings as productive, though adviser Dmytro Lytvyn later qualified that hope was directed toward future progress rather than immediate resolution. Kyiv signaled a significant potential compromise by offering to formally withdraw its constitutional aspiration for NATO membership in exchange for legally binding security assurances modeled after NATO’s Article 5 provision. However, friction arose as the US delegation favored a more phased implementation of these guarantees.

Parallel diplomatic activity underscored the broader European stake in the outcome. President Zelenskyy met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and was scheduled to convene with European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, on Monday evening. Chancellor Merz has emphasized Europe’s responsibility in providing security guarantees and indicated openness to German participation in a peacekeeping mission. The EU, represented by Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas, continues to focus on securing a long-term financing mechanism, noting the difficulty in finalizing the necessary €90 billion in funding.

The diplomatic groundwork leading to these discussions involved a refined 20-point plan, evolving from an earlier, more Russia-favorable 28-point US-Russia draft discussed following a meeting with President Putin on December 2, 2025. The talks also addressed economic matters, aligning with the German-Ukrainian Economic Forum focusing on defense industry transformation. The outcome of these efforts is critical for Eastern European stability and the future trajectory of NATO, with Zelenskyy noting that the willingness to forgo NATO membership represents a major compromise by Kyiv.