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.
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One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously and that the kingdom “bore responsibility for failed interceptions”, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a newly opened defence museum displaying weapons developed under his leadership, including an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
Southeast Asian foreign ministers are set to discuss measures to tackle transboundary haze during preparatory meetings ahead of the ASEAN summit in November, as forest and land fires in Indonesia continue to affect air quality across the region, the Philippines said on Tuesday.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the United Kingdom believes Iran was likely behind an alleged plot connected to RAF Fairford, a military airbase in Gloucestershire in England that has played a role in U.S. operations against Iran, escalating tensions between London and Tehran.
Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has accused the Trump administration of using federal law enforcement for political purposes after authorities searched her Washington-area home as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
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