Ukraine drops NATO goal as Trump envoy sees progress in peace talks

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signalled that Ukraine may be prepared to abandon its long-standing ambition to join the NATO military alliance, as he held more than five hours of talks with U.S. envoys in Berlin on Sunday aimed at ending the conflict with Russia. Negotiations are set to continue on Monday.

Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s envoy, said “significant progress” had been made during the discussions, which he attended alongside Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The talks represent the latest diplomatic effort to resolve Europe’s deadliest conflict since the Second World War, though few details were made public.

Zelenskyy’s adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, said the Ukrainian president would comment once talks conclude. He added that officials were reviewing draft documents.

“The discussions lasted more than five hours and concluded today with an agreement to resume tomorrow morning,” Lytvyn said in a WhatsApp message to reporters.

Ahead of the talks, Zelenskyy said Ukraine could drop its NATO bid in exchange for firm Western security guarantees, a significant shift for Kyiv, which has enshrined NATO membership in its constitution as a safeguard against Russian aggression. The move aligns with one of Moscow’s long-standing demands, although Ukraine has continued to reject territorial concessions.

Witkoff said representatives had held “in-depth discussions” on a proposed 20-point peace framework, economic issues and other matters, adding that talks would resume on Monday morning.

The meeting was hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who made brief opening remarks before leaving the delegations to negotiate. Other European leaders are expected in Germany for further discussions.

“From the outset, Ukraine sought NATO membership as the most reliable form of security,” Zelenskyy said in a written response to reporters. “Some partners in the U.S. and Europe did not support this path.”

He said alternatives now under discussion include bilateral security guarantees from the United States, NATO Article 5-style commitments, and additional guarantees from European partners and countries such as Canada and Japan.

“This is already a compromise on our part,” Zelenskyy said, stressing that any guarantees must be legally binding.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly insisted Ukraine formally renounce NATO membership and withdraw forces from parts of eastern Ukraine still under Kyiv’s control. Moscow has also demanded Ukraine remain neutral and that no NATO troops be stationed on its territory.

Russian officials have previously said Putin wants written assurances from major Western powers that NATO will not expand eastwards — effectively ruling out future membership for Ukraine and other former Soviet states.

Washington’s decision to send Witkoff, who has been closely involved in negotiations with both Kyiv and Moscow, was seen as a sign the U.S. believes progress may be possible nearly four years after Russia’s 2022 invasion.

Under pressure from President Trump to reach a settlement — after initial proposals appeared to favour Moscow — Zelenskyy has accused Russia of deliberately prolonging the conflict through continued strikes on cities and critical infrastructure.

He said a ceasefire along current front lines could be a reasonable starting point.

‘A critical moment’

Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said it was encouraging that the U.S. had dispatched senior envoys, though he questioned the suitability of Witkoff and Kushner — both businessmen — as negotiators.

“It is certainly far from an ideal set-up,” Pistorius told ZDF television. “But as the saying goes, you can only dance with those already on the floor.”

He cautioned that Ukraine had bitter experience of relying on security assurances, recalling Kyiv’s decision in 1994 to relinquish its Soviet-era nuclear weapons in return for guarantees from the U.S., Russia and Britain.

“It remains to be seen how firm this position is and what conditions would apply,” Pistorius said, noting that territorial issues and Russian commitments would be crucial. Security guarantees without strong U.S. involvement, he added, “would carry little weight”.

Britain, France and Germany have been working to adjust U.S. proposals that, in a draft revealed last month, called for Ukraine to give up further territory, abandon NATO ambitions and accept limits on its armed forces.

European allies have described the moment as decisive for Ukraine’s future and have sought ways to bolster Kyiv’s finances, including using frozen Russian central bank assets to support military and civilian spending.

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