President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian and US teams are preparing to hold another round of talks on a peace plan in the United States as early as this weekend, following Washington’s consultations with Moscow and days of intensive negotiations in Berlin.
Speaking to reporters via WhatsApp Messenger aboard a plane leaving Germany, Zelensky said Ukrainian and US teams are finalizing documents that will shape the next stage of the talks.
“Today or tomorrow we will complete the documents. Then the US team will hold consultations with the Russians. After that, the negotiators will meet with the US president, and then our teams will reconvene in the United States. It could even happen this weekend,” Zelensky said.
He said the outcome of the talks would determine the next steps, including whether a leaders-level meeting between Ukraine and the US could take place.
Berlin talks build momentum
Zelensky’s comments follow two days of talks in Berlin on Dec. 14–15 between Ukraine, the United States and European partners on a US-backed peace initiative. Zelensky took part in the talks alongside Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
US officials said negotiations made significant progress, pointing to broad agreement on security guarantees, economic reconstruction and a narrowing of disagreements over territory.
Speaking on a background press call, US officials from the American delegation spent more than eight hours in direct talks with Zelensky and held extensive meetings with European leaders, including senior officials from Germany, the UK, and France.
One official described the talks as “really, really positive in almost every respect,” saying negotiators reached consensus on several issues seen as critical to a future peace deal.
The most consequential progress came on a sweeping security package for Ukraine, described repeatedly as the strongest ever proposed.
“This is the most robust set of security protocols they have ever seen,” one official said, calling it “a very, very strong package.”
Officials said the guarantees are “Article 5–like,” but go further, incorporating military oversight, verification, deterrence and deconfliction mechanisms. Another official described the framework as “the platinum standard for what can be offered.”
Trump signals progress
US President Donald Trump said that an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine is “closer now than we have been ever.” He made the comments to the press in the White House’s Oval Office – after phoning into the summit of European leaders in Berlin.
“We’re having tremendous support from European leaders, they want to get it ended also,” Trump added.
Trump also said that he had spoken to Russian leader Vladimir Putin “recently,” and that “at this moment, Russia wants to get it ended.”
“The problem is, they all want to get it ended and then all of a sudden they won’t,” the US president continued. “We have to get them on the same page but I think that’s working.”
Europe closes ranks behind Ukraine
As talks continued, EU leaders and the leaders of 10 European countries issued a joint statement on Monday backing security guarantees for Ukraine and expressing support for Zelensky ahead of further meetings with Ukrainian and US officials in Berlin.
The statement was signed by Germany, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, and was left open for other countries to join.
The European statement outlined a series of commitments, including:
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Sustained military support to help Ukraine maintain armed forces of about 800,000 troops.
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A European-led multinational force to support Ukraine’s military and help protect its airspace and seas.
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A US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism with international participation.
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Legally binding measures to respond to any future armed attack on Ukraine.
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Investment in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, including compensation from Russia for war damage.
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Strong backing for Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union.
The signatories said they would support whatever decisions Zelensky makes on key issues and would back consultations with the Ukrainian public if needed.
Security guarantees — and red lines
At a joint press conference on Monday, Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed a US commitment to provide security guarantees for Ukraine similar to NATO’s Article 5.
At the same time, Kyiv continues to reject US pressure to make territorial concessions, including withdrawing from parts of the Donbas region that Russian forces have failed to fully seize on the battlefield.
What comes next?
Despite signs of progress, territorial issues and long-term security guarantees remain the most difficult parts of the negotiations.
According to Axios, US and Ukrainian officials are planning to meet next in Miami, where working groups and military representatives are expected to review maps and technical details.
Zelensky said Ukraine expects the peace plan to consist of five documents. Once the full package is finalized, he said, a meeting with Trump would follow.