Ukraine drops NATO objective as Trump envoy sees progress in peace talks

[ad_1] Trump envoy says quite a lot of progress made in Berlin talks Negotiations to proceed on Monday morning Zelenskiy seeks ensures in opposition to future Russian assaults German defence minister warns on safety ensures BERLIN/KYIV, Dec 14 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy provided to drop Ukraine's aspirations to hitch the NATO navy alliance as he held 5 hours of talks with U.S. envoys in Berlin on Sunday to finish the struggle with Russia, with negotiations set to proceed on Monday.

Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff mentioned "quite a lot of progress was made" as he and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met Zelenskiy within the newest push to finish Europe's bloodiest battle since World Struggle Two, although full particulars weren't divulged. Join <a data-testid="Link" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/zelenskiy-demands-dignified-peace-us-ukraine-officials-meet-berlin-2025-12-14/undefined?location=article-paragraph&redirectUrl=%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Fzelenskiy-demands-dignified-peace-us-ukraine-officials-meet-berlin-2025-12-14%2F" class="text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC">here.

Zelenskiy's adviser Dmytro Lytvyn mentioned the president would touch upon the talks on Monday as soon as they had been accomplished. Officers, Lytvyn mentioned, had been contemplating the draft paperwork.

"They went on for greater than 5 hours and ended for as we speak with an settlement to renew tomorrow morning," Lytvyn informed reporters in a WhatsApp chat.

Forward of the talks, Zelenskiy provided to drop Ukraine's objective to hitch NATO in trade for Western safety ensures.

The transfer marks a significant shift for Ukraine, which has fought to hitch NATO as a safeguard in opposition to Russian assaults and has such an aspiration included in its structure. It additionally meets one in every of Russia's struggle goals, though Kyiv has to date held agency in opposition to ceding territory to Moscow.

"Representatives held in-depth discussions concerning the 20-point plan for peace, financial agendas, and extra. A variety of progress was made, and they'll meet once more tomorrow morning," Witkoff mentioned in a submit on X.

The talks had been hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who a supply mentioned had made transient remarks earlier than leaving the 2 sides to barter. Different European leaders are additionally due in Germany for talks on Monday.

"From the very starting, Ukraine's need was to hitch NATO, these are actual safety ensures. Some companions from the U.S. and Europe didn't assist this path," Zelenskiy mentioned in reply to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat.

"Thus, as we speak, bilateral safety ensures between Ukraine and the U.S., Article 5-like ensures for us from the U.S., and safety ensures from European colleagues, in addition to different nations — Canada, Japan — are a chance to stop one other Russian invasion," Zelenskiy mentioned.

"And it's already a compromise on our half," he mentioned, including the safety ensures needs to be legally binding.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded Ukraine formally resign its NATO ambitions and withdraw troops from the about 10% of Donbas which Kyiv nonetheless controls. Moscow has additionally mentioned Ukraine have to be a impartial nation and no NATO troops might be stationed in Ukraine.

Russian sources mentioned earlier this yr that Putin desires a "written" pledge by main Western powers not to enlarge the U.S.-led NATO alliance eastwards - shorthand for formally ruling out membership to Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and different former Soviet republics. Sending Witkoff, who has led negotiations with Ukraine and Russia on a U.S. peace proposal, gave the impression to be a sign that Washington noticed an opportunity of progress almost 4 years after Russia's 2022 invasion . Beneath strain from Trump to signal a peace deal that originally backed Moscow's calls for, Zelenskiy accused Russia of dragging out the struggle via lethal bombings of cities and Ukraine's energy and water provides.

A ceasefire alongside the present entrance strains can be a good possibility, he added.

'CRITICAL MOMENT' Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius mentioned it was a "good signal" Trump had despatched his envoys whereas fielding questions in an interview with the ZDF broadcaster on the suitability of Witkoff and Kushner, two businessmen, as negotiators.

"It is definitely something however an excellent setup for such negotiations. That a lot is obvious. However as they are saying, you possibly can solely dance with the folks on the dance flooring," Pistorius mentioned.

On the problem of Ukraine's provide to surrender its NATO aspirations in trade for safety ensures, Pistorius mentioned Ukraine had bitter prior expertise of counting on safety assurances. Kyiv had in 1994 agreed to surrender its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal in trade for territorial ensures from the U.S., Russia and Britain.

"Subsequently, it stays to be seen to what extent this assertion Zelenskiy has now made will truly maintain true, and what preconditions have to be met," Pistorius mentioned.

"This issues territorial points, commitments from Russia and others," he mentioned, including mere safety ensures, particularly with out important U.S. involvement, "would not be price a lot."

Britain, France and Germany have been working to refine the U.S. proposals, which in a draft disclosed final month known as for Kyiv to cede extra territory, abandon its NATO ambitions and settle for limits on its armed forces.

European allies have described this as a "essential second" that might form Ukraine's future, and sought to shore up Kyiv's funds by leveraging frozen Russian central bank assets to fund Kyiv's navy and civilian finances. Reporting by Friederike Heine, Matthias Williams, Olena Harmash, Andreas Rinke, Ron Popeski, David Ljunggren; writing by Matthias Williams; modifying by Alexander Smith and Chris Reese