U.S. envoy Witkoff to meet Zelenskyy in Berlin over revised peace plan

U.S. envoy Witkoff to meet Zelenskyy in Berlin over revised peace plan
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff speaks to members of the media, in Kiryat Gat, Israel, 21 October, 2025
Reuters

Talks aimed at ending the war between Ukraine and Russia are set to continue in Berlin this weekend, with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior European leaders, a U.S. official said.

Witkoff, who has led White House efforts to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow, is expected to discuss the latest version of a proposed peace agreement.

He is also due to hold talks on Sunday and Monday with counterparts from France, Britain and Germany.

The Wall Street Journal reported that UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are expected to take part.

Washington’s decision to send Witkoff underlines growing urgency to narrow remaining differences with Kyiv over the plan’s terms.

On Thursday (11 December), the White House said President Donald Trump would only dispatch a representative if he believed sufficient progress could be made.

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is also expected to take part in the meetings.

Confirmation of the Witkoff–Zelenskyy meeting comes days after Ukraine submitted a revised version of a 20-point peace plan to the United States. The proposals, first floated in late November, have since prompted intensified diplomatic activity.

Territory in eastern Ukraine remains the most contentious issue. Kyiv has refused to cede land it says has been illegally occupied, while Moscow insists it will take full control of the Donbas region by force unless Ukraine withdraws.

Zelenskyy has expressed scepticism about the White House’s latest proposal on the territorial question, which would see Ukrainian forces pull back and the area designated a “special economic zone”.

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