(The Hill) — U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in Germany over the weekend — the next step in peace talks to end Kyiv’s nearly four-year war with Russia.
A White House official on Saturday confirmed the upcoming meeting in Berlin to NewsNation.
The meeting comes just days after Zelenskyy said he will offer a revised peace proposal after disagreeing with several points in President Trump’s initial plan. Zelenskyy spoke with top U.S. officials earlier this week, which he said focused on “critical” security guarantees needed for any ceasefire agreement to succeed.
He added that it is “essential that this document on security guarantees provides concrete answers to what concerns Ukrainians the most: what actions partners will take if Russia decides to launch its aggression again.”
Trump has upped pressure on the Ukrainian leader to accept terms in the 28-point peace plan offered early last month, though the president acknowledged that it was not the final deal.
“Well, he’s going to have to get on the ball and start accepting things … He’s losing,” Trump told Politico’s Dasha Burns in a Monday interview, when asked about Zelenskyy’s resistance to the plan.
The original deal included a provision that would place the Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk regions under de factor Russian control. It would also slash the size of the Ukrainian military and restrict NATO forces from being stationed within the Eastern European country.
Ukraine’s updated proposal includes the establishment of a demilitarized zone in the Donbas region, an apparent alternative to territorial concessions demanded by Moscow, according to Zelenskyy.
Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jared Kusher, Trump’s son-in-law, have spearheaded the latest talks with Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin — though any movement on bringing an end to the war has been minor. The diplomatic talks led to the initial proposal reportedly being paired down to about 19 points, after the draft was criticized as heavily favoring Russia.
“Across all areas, our goal is the same — to bring the war to a real conclusion and to define the steps that will make peace dignified for Ukraine, with security and reconstruction — guaranteed,” Zelenskyy wrote Friday on social platform X. “I thank everyone who is helping!”
“And I am especially grateful to all our warriors on the front line, to every effective unit, and to everyone working for our defense, and for the Ukrainian state,” he continued. “Ukraine’s strong positions in defense mean strong positions in diplomacy.”
Trump has aired frustration over lack of progress and lashed out at European leaders, who have stood behind Ukraine and warned that the U.S. could betray Zelenskyy.
Still, the Ukrainian and Russian leaders have each signaled willingness to accept a peace deal, but both sides called for concessions.
The clock is ticking, however, as the president suggested earlier this month that he wants a deal in place by Christmas.