Quoting U.S. officials involved in peace negotiations in Berlin, the New York Times said Ukraine and its allies had agreed on security assurances similar to those provided by NATO, as countries work to craft a revised peace proposal aimed at preventing future aggression while still accommodating Russia.
After two days of talks in Berlin, U.S. officials told reporters that they had resolved or significantly narrowed differences on about 90% of a 20-point draft agreement intended to end the conflict. However, they acknowledged that the issue of drawing a new border between Ukraine and Russia in the Donbass region—where most of the fighting continues—remains unresolved.
👉Funny Due to Inflation This is My Ugly Sweater for Christmas Classic T-Shirt
“Frankly, we currently have different views,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a brief press conference the same day. “But I think my colleagues have heard my personal position.”
Zelensky said Ukraine cannot give up territory, mainly in Donetsk, that Russia has not yet taken control of on the battlefield. Officials said President Donald Trump told the Ukrainian leader that he should relinquish that territory, as it is likely to be lost in the coming months if the fighting continues.
Ultimately, the two U.S. officials said the outcome will be decided by Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Zelensky—and U.S. and European officials believe this is one of the issues most likely to derail the broader negotiations to end the fighting. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity under rules set by the Trump administration governing the talks.
Sources said most of the discussions over the past two days focused on security guarantees designed to prevent another attack on Ukrainian territory in the years ahead.
The officials did not provide specific details, but said President Trump is willing to submit any final agreement on U.S. commitments to Ukraine to the Senate for ratification. They did not clarify whether the guarantee would become a formal treaty—similar to those the U.S. has signed with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and other allies.
Trump has said the U.S. would not contribute ground troops to a security force for Ukraine. However, last summer he proposed aerial patrols and the enforcement of a no-fly zone, in addition to continuing to provide Ukraine with satellite intelligence and intercepted signals. Senior officials said that proposal remains on the table.
Meanwhile, European officials—who had previously been skeptical of Trump’s willingness to play a central role in Ukraine’s security—said they were impressed after the meeting.
“In recent days, we have seen significant diplomatic momentum, perhaps the greatest since the conflict began on February 24, 2022,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said while standing alongside Zelensky at a press conference on December 15. “We now have an opportunity for a genuine peace process for Ukraine.”
Despite the optimism surrounding the talks, there are still many reasons for caution. Negotiations continued into the evening of December 15 (local time), with Trump participating by phone or video, and without Russian representatives present.
In recent days, senior officials have acknowledged that as the draft agreement is revised to address more of Ukraine’s concerns, persuading President Putin to sign it will become increasingly difficult. According to senior U.S. officials, Putin’s strategy so far has been to encourage dialogue while continuing near-nightly missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure.
Since February 2025, President Zelensky has repeatedly pressed the U.S. for security guarantees for Ukraine.
“Only credible guarantees can bring peace,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on social media over the weekend, recalling that the guarantees in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum failed to prevent the conflict, which is believed to have caused more than 1.5 million casualties. Under that agreement, the U.S., the U.K., and Russia pledged to protect Ukraine in exchange for Kyiv giving up the former Soviet nuclear weapons stationed on its territory.
After more than eight hours of meetings on December 14 and 15 involving Zelensky; Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy; and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, the Ukrainian leader said he was encouraged by the progress. However, Zelensky made clear he is not yet ready to accept the final document to be presented to President Putin. On December 15, he said that “before taking certain steps on the battlefield”—apparently referring to troop withdrawals and allowing parts of Donetsk to become a free trade zone—there must be a clear understanding of what the security guarantees would look like.
Zelensky noted that because the U.S. has refused to allow Ukraine to join NATO, he requires security guarantees even stronger than those provided to NATO members.
In a statement released on the evening of December 15, 12 European leaders outlined additional details. They said the draft plan envisions the West providing “sustained and substantial support for Ukraine” to maintain a peacetime military force of about 800,000 troops—the largest and most battle-hardened force in Europe.
The statement added that a “European-led multinational Ukraine force” would be assembled from “willing nations,” without naming them. France and the United Kingdom have previously said they would contribute troops, and Poland and other countries are also expected to participate. However, the wording of the statement did not clarify whether the force would be stationed on Ukrainian territory—an issue that has long been a point of contention with Russia.