As US-led Berlin talks seek a rapid end to the Ukraine war, Trump’s push for a quick deal exposes deep divisions with Kyiv and European allies over territory, security guarantees and the risks of a fragile peace.
As US, Ukrainian and European officials converge on Berlin for another push to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, the diplomacy is exposing sharp differences over how peace might be achieved and at what cost.
President Donald Trump is pressing for a rapid settlement, but talks this week underscore widening gaps between Washington’s urgency, Kyiv’s red lines and Europe’s growing unease about the long-term security implications.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in the German capital on Sunday, joining a flurry of meetings that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as potentially decisive. “These days will be filled with diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said, stressing that Ukraine needs peace “on decent terms” and, crucially, guarantees that Russia will not return for another invasion.
Washington’s rush meets Kyiv’s red lines
Trump has made ending the war a priority, arguing that prolonged fighting only deepens human and economic costs. His administration has spent months trying to reconcile Moscow’s demands with Ukrainian and European concerns, but the effort has repeatedly stalled over territory and security.
Russia insists Ukraine withdraw from the remaining areas it controls in the eastern Donetsk region and abandon its NATO ambitions — conditions Kyiv has flatly rejected. Moscow has also signalled it would retain police and national guard forces in parts of eastern Ukraine even under a demilitarised arrangement, a proposal Ukrainian officials see as incompatible with sovereignty.
Trump’s 28-point peace framework, unveiled last month, has intensified tensions. Critics in Kyiv and Europe say it echoes Russian priorities, particularly on territorial concessions. Ukrainian officials have since sent Washington a revised version, though details remain closely held. Zelenskyy has warned that Russia “still aims to destroy” Ukraine, pointing to continuing strikes on energy infrastructure that have left hundreds of thousands without power.
The military reality adds urgency but also complicates compromise. Russia has advanced at its fastest pace in a year, while Ukraine remains under sustained aerial attack. Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 1,500 drones and nearly 900 guided bombs in the past week alone. Moscow, meanwhile, claims to have intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones, including attacks on oil facilities deep inside Russia.
Europe’s alarm and the question of guarantees
For European leaders, the Berlin talks are about more than ending the fighting. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has emerged as a central figure in coordinating European support for Kyiv, warned that the era of unquestioned US security leadership — the “Pax Americana” — is fading. If Ukraine falls, Merz cautioned, Russia’s ambitions could extend beyond its borders.
That anxiety is shaping Europe’s stance at the negotiating table. France and Germany have stressed that Ukraine should not be pushed into territorial concessions without firm security guarantees, ideally backed by the United States.
The idea of accelerating Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, potentially by 2027 under the latest US-led proposal is seen by European officials as one pillar of longer-term stability, though it faces resistance from some EU members and would require sweeping reforms in Kyiv.
Turkey has also weighed in, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggesting peace may not be far off but calling for a halt to strikes in the Black Sea to protect critical shipping lanes. Recent attacks on Turkish-linked vessels have highlighted how the conflict continues to ripple outward, reinforcing European fears that a rushed deal could leave dangerous flashpoints unresolved.
Zelenskyy under pressure at home and abroad
As the diplomatic pressure mounts, Zelenskyy is handling one of the most challenging phases of his presidency. Once the unifying face of resistance, he now faces battlefield setbacks, a corruption scandal that forced the dismissal of a senior aide, and growing frustration from Washington. Trump has openly backed calls for new Ukrainian elections, an idea Zelenskyy says he would consider only if ironclad security guarantees are in place.
That tension mirrors the broader diplomatic impasse. Trump wants speed and flexibility; Kyiv wants dignity and security; Europe wants reassurance that any peace will not redraw borders by force. Berlin has become the arena where those competing priorities collide.
Zelenskyy said on Sunday he hoped the United States would back the idea of freezing the front line in Ukraine along its current shape at talks in Berlin.
“The fairest possible option is to ‘stay where we are’. This is true because it is a ceasefire… I know that Russia does not view this positively, and I would like the Americans to support us on this issue,” Zelenskyy told reporters shortly before arriving in Berlin for talks with US President Donald Trump’s envoy and European leaders.
As talks continue, the risk is not only that negotiations drag on but that a hastily brokered agreement could sow the seeds of future conflict. For now, the Berlin meetings highlight a central dilemma: ending the war quickly may satisfy political urgency in Washington but as experts said without alignment among allies and credible guarantees for Ukraine peace could prove dangerously fragile.
With inputs from agencies
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