Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. envoys in Berlin on Monday to continue discussions on a potential plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

The meeting followed a previous round of talks held a day earlier between Zelensky, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and advisor. Witkoff said “a lot of progress was made” during the initial discussions, though he did not disclose specific details.

However, according to an undisclosed source cited by The Wall Street Journal, the five-hour meeting on Dec. 14 was difficult, with Washington appearing unwilling to compromise on its peace proposal as it pushes for a deal to be finalized by the end of the year.

The negotiations are part of renewed diplomatic efforts following Washington’s endorsement of a 28-point peace plan that would have imposed far-reaching conditions on Ukraine. After consultations with Ukrainian and European representatives, the proposal was reportedly reduced to 20 points.

Ahead of the Berlin meeting, Zelensky pushed back against a U.S.-backed proposal that would require Ukrainian forces to withdraw from a proposed “demilitarized zone” in parts of the Russian-occupied Donbas region. He stressed that decisions involving territorial concessions must be made by the Ukrainian people, potentially through a national referendum.

Zelensky also reiterated that any peace agreement must include strong and binding security guarantees for Ukraine, comparable to those enshrined in NATO’s Article 5 collective defense clause.

During his visit to Berlin, Zelensky is expected to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Later in the evening, at around 7 p.m. local time, he is also scheduled to hold talks with leaders from the United Kingdom, the European Union, and NATO, according to diplomatic sources.

Tensions have emerged between Washington and Kyiv as Trump has expressed frustration with Zelensky and European allies for resisting elements of the initial U.S. peace proposal, which critics say mirrors several of Moscow’s maximalist demands.

Ukraine and its European partners drafted a revised proposal and submitted it to Washington last week, though the U.S. has yet to officially respond. The Kremlin has already signaled that any revisions put forward by Ukraine and Europe are unlikely to be constructive and would likely face “sharp objections” from Russia.

Ahead of the second round of talks, Zelensky also met Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who made an unexpected visit to Berlin. Stubb reportedly also held meetings with Witkoff and Kushner. The Finnish leader has been actively involved in peace discussions related to Ukraine, partly due to his close contacts with Trump. (ILKHA)