The US negotiator they demand Ukraine continue to one Abandonment of Donbass on. This was announced on Monday by a high-ranking representative from Kiev, who was informed about the Berlin talks to end the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
The important region in eastern Ukraine is only partially occupied by Russia. The USA is therefore demanding what Kremlin foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov had already stated as a prerequisite for a ceasefire: a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the entire Donbass. The area will definitely come under the control of the Russian Federation – “if not through negotiations, then by military means,” said Ushakov.
Efforts to reach a possible ceasefire between Ukraine and the aggressor Russia will continue on Monday in Berlin.
In the afternoon we want the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the Ukrainian president Wolodymyr Selenskij then speak at the German-Ukrainian economic forum before meeting at the Chancellery for a bilateral meeting. In the evening, talks are planned with several European heads of state and government as well as the heads of the EU and NATO.
Security guarantees
The US negotiators already had it on Sunday Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushnerthe son-in-law of US President Donald Trumpnegotiated with Zelensky for several hours. While Witkoff subsequently spoke of great progress, other people familiar with the discussions expressed more caution. The central question remains that Ukraine receives security guarantees. Before his departure to Berlin, Zelenskiy also said that his country could forego NATO membership if it received sufficient security guarantees against another Russian attack. In addition, talks could begin with Russia based on the current front line.
Russia described Ukraine’s withdrawal from NATO as a fundamental issue in possible peace talks. This is one of the cornerstones and the subject of special discussions, said the presidential office spokesman Dmitri Peskov. After the US talks with European countries and Ukraine in Berlin, Russia is expecting information from the US government.
Europeans demand further support for Ukraine
While Trump is pushing for a quick end to the fighting, the Europeans are calling on the US to continue to support Ukraine in its defensive battle and not to push the country into a dictated peace with Russia. On Thursday, the Europeans want to clear the way at the EU summit to use more than 200 billion euros in frozen Russian state assets to finance the Ukrainian defense campaign. This would finance Ukraine’s military budget for the next two or three years and is seen as a decisive signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he cannot expect Ukraine to collapse. This is also important because Zelenskiy is considered to be severely affected domestically by a corruption scandal among his closest employees.
Both Russia and the USA reject the use of these so-called frozen assets. The Russian central bank filed a lawsuit in a Moscow court on Monday against the use of the money amounting to 18.2 trillion rubles (around 195 billion euros).
Increase pressure on Russia
Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS) believes it is necessary to keep the pressure on Russia high in the interests of the peace process for Ukraine. “We have to show strength, show unity,” she emphasized at the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels. Further sanctions are needed; one building block is the use of frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. “I very much hope that we will get an agreement this week,” said the minister.
So far there are no signs that Russia actually wants peace, so Russia needs to be forced to the negotiating table. Meinl-Reisinger considered the question of security guarantees, which was the focus of Monday’s discussions, to be “very relevant” for Europe and Austria. “We don’t want to live in a world in which the aggressor is rewarded,” said Meinl-Reisinger. Europe has long since become the target of hybrid attacks. The best security guarantee is “a strong, sovereign Ukraine with an appropriate army that is capable of defending itself,” said the minister. Austria also supports Ukraine’s path to the EU. Ultimately, only Ukraine must decide whether cessions of territory for peace are acceptable to Ukraine.
Kallas: Putin wants to move on
At the start of the ministerial meeting, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that the capture of Donbass in eastern Ukraine was not the ultimate goal of Russian President Vladimir Putin. If the Donbass falls, Russia will “definitely move on to take over the whole of Ukraine,” Kallas said. With regard to the sanctions, Kallas and the German European Minister Gunther Krichbaum announced that they would add another 40 ships to the shadow fleet list. “The threat posed by the Shadow Fleet is palpable,” said Krichbaum. An extension of the sanctions against Belarus was also discussed among ministers on Monday.