The upcoming meeting in Berlin between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European officials is set to focus on advancing a proposed peace framework, though analysts warn reaching a deal may be difficult.
Witkoff is expected to discuss the latest version of the proposed peace agreement and hold talks on Sunday, 14 December, and Monday, with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz taking part, according to reports.
Political analyst Nikola Mikovic, speaking to AnewZ from Belgrade, Serbia, outlined the competing approaches at play and the challenges in aligning U.S. and European expectations.
“They were initially supposed to hold the meeting in Paris, but it was reportedly cancelled. And now they’re scheduled to meet in Berlin,” Mikovic said.
"Although I’m not sure if they will reach a deal, the United States is attempting to pressure Kyiv and its European allies to accept Donald Trump’s peace proposal,” he noted.
Two approaches
Mikovic said Washington and its allies were pursuing different strategies and positions.
The first, led by the United States, suggests that Ukraine should make territorial concessions to Russia and freeze the conflict, which would serve Donald Trump’s interest by portraying him as a peacekeeper.
The United States could also benefit strategically, particularly if it establishes influence over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility.
By contrast, Kyiv and European powers, including the United Kingdom, are firmly opposed to such a solution.
“They back Ukraine’s war efforts and have repeatedly stated that Ukraine should continue fighting until it recaptures territories currently under Russian control,” Mikovic said.
The analyst noted that the Trump administration is actively attempting to pressure Ukraine and Europe to freeze the conflict, but expressed scepticism over the likelihood of success.
Mikovic concluded by stressing that the war will only end when one of the parties is no longer capable of continuing the fight. “As I repeatedly stated over the years, this war will end when one of the two involved parties is no longer in a position to continue fighting. And we’re still far from such an outcome,” he said.
The Berlin meeting, therefore, comes amid sharp differences in strategy and objectives, with both sides under pressure to articulate their positions and clarify expectations before any potential progress can be made.
These talks follow Ukraine’s submission of a revised 20-point peace plan to the United States, first proposed in late November, which has prompted intensified diplomatic activity.
Territorial disputes in eastern Ukraine remain the most contentious issue, with Kyiv refusing to cede land it says has been illegally occupied and Moscow insisting it will take full control of the Donbas region by force unless Ukraine withdraws.
The election of Iran’s next supreme leader could provide an opportunity to end the ongoing regional war involving Israel, the U.S. and ...
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States is making gains in its conflict with Iran after a key I...
The U.S. Department of Defense has released a video of a submarine strike on an Iranian warship off the southern Sri Lankan coast. At least 80 peop...
Rising tensions in the Middle East are beginning to affect Kazakhstan’s economy and citizens, disrupting grain trade across the Caspian Sea a...
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the country’s expanding gas exports to Europe and its ...
The election of Iran’s next supreme leader could provide an opportunity to end the ongoing regional war involving Israel, the U.S. and Iran, Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States is making gains in its conflict with Iran after a key Iranian naval target was destroyed, confirming that the strike was carried out by a U.S. submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka. Rescue efforts are now under way for the ship’s crew.
The U.S. Department of Defense has released a video of a submarine strike on an Iranian warship off the southern Sri Lankan coast. At least 80 people died in the U.S. attack on the vessel, Sri Lanka's Deputy Foreign Minister said.
Tehran residents walk past the ruins of buildings destroyed by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes. Meanwhile, groups of people gather on the streets of the Iranian capital holding flags of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
A torpedo from a U.S. submarine has sunk an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth told reporters. The Sri Lankan navy carried out a rescue operation for dozens of sailors in the wake of the strike.
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones resulting in a limited fire and some material damage, the kingdom's defence ministry said in a post on X on Tuesday, citing an initial assessment.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States is making gains in its conflict with Iran after a key Iranian naval target was destroyed, confirming that the strike was carried out by a U.S. submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka. Rescue efforts are now under way for the ship’s crew.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment