Germany is set to host talks between US and Ukrainian delegations this weekend on a possible ceasefire in the Ukraine war, just days before a wider summit with European leaders and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Berlin.
Germany will host delegations from the US and Ukraine over the weekend for talks on a possible ceasefire in the Ukraine war, ahead of a summit with European leaders and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Berlin on Monday, a German official said on Saturday.
A US official said President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner were travelling to Germany for discussions involving Ukrainian and European representatives. The decision to send Witkoff, who has led negotiations with Ukraine and Russia on a US peace proposal, appeared to signal that Washington sees scope for progress. The White House had said on Thursday that Trump would send an official only if he believed meaningful progress was possible.
“Talks on a possible ceasefire in Ukraine are taking place in Berlin this weekend between foreign policy advisers from, among others, the US and Ukraine,” a German government source said.
European support amid US pressure
On Monday, German leader Friedrich Merz will host Zelenskiy and other European leaders for a summit in Berlin. The meeting is the latest public show of support for the Ukrainian president from European allies, even as Kyiv faces pressure from Washington to sign up to a peace plan that initially reflected Moscow’s key demands.
Britain, France and Germany have in recent weeks been working to refine the US proposals, which in a draft disclosed last month called on Kyiv to cede more territory, abandon its ambition to join NATO and accept limits on its armed forces.
The White House said Trump’s special envoy would meet Zelenskiy and European leaders in Berlin this weekend as Washington pushes for a plan to end Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Fresh Russian strikes before talks
Ahead of the meetings, Zelenskiy warned on Saturday that Russia “still aims to destroy” Ukraine, after Kyiv said “massive” Russian strikes on energy facilities overnight had left thousands without electricity across the country.
Russia said it had struck Ukrainian facilities with hypersonic ballistic missiles, describing the attacks as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes.
“It is important that everyone now sees what Russia is doing — every step they take in terror against our people… for this is clearly not about ending the war. They still aim to destroy our state and inflict maximum pain on our people,” Zelenskiy said in a post on X.
An 80-year-old woman was killed when a Russian shell hit a residential building in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, the regional governor said.
Diplomatic push intensifies
Trump has stepped up pressure on Kyiv to reach an agreement since unveiling a plan to end the war last month, which drew criticism for echoing Moscow’s demands, including Ukraine giving up key territory.
The 28-point proposal has triggered intense diplomatic engagement between the US and Ukraine’s European allies, with Ukrainian officials recently saying they had sent Washington a revised version.
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