U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held two rounds of high-stakes talks in Berlin, Germany on 14-15 December. Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, posted on X that discussions with the U.S. envoy have been "constructive and productive".
However, the demands of each side in the conflict reportedly remain far from fully aligned.
Speaking to AnewZ from Lisbon, Portugal, political analyst Ana Evans highlighted the complexity of the issue, emphasising that any resolution ultimately depends on both sides, with Russia holding significant leverage.
“It depends on what Russia is offered because Russia ultimately has the veto power here. Ukraine, of course, has a word. Nothing can be done without Ukraine,” Evans said.
She noted that the Kremlin will only consider ending the war if it receives a package of benefits that compensates for halting hostilities without appearing to have lost the conflict.
Evans explained that Russia continues to sustain its war effort through financial and political support from China, as well as allies in the Global South, Iran, and North Korea.
She added that Moscow has the capacity to wait longer than Kyiv, making a negotiated settlement contingent on highly persuasive incentives.
“So, unless it receives a very convincing gift of interests, which might involve third countries, not just Ukraine — considering Russia’s strategic stakes in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa — the war is likely to continue,” she said.
Evans emphasised that any package would need to be substantial enough to align with Russia’s broader geopolitical ambitions and preserve its leverage.
According to Evans, the current battlefield dynamics and diplomatic efforts alone are unlikely to bring the war to a close in 2026.
The continuation of hostilities, she noted, reflects Russia’s capacity to withstand pressure while maintaining influence across multiple regions, underlining the challenges facing negotiators seeking a sustainable peace.
Status of negotiations
At this point, U.S. negotiators are reportedly still pressing Ukraine to cede control of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions as a condition for peace talks with Russia, AFP reported according to an official briefed on the discussions.
Kyiv is resisting Washington’s demand that it withdraw troops from the two regions, collectively known as Donbas, which Russia has struggled to fully capture since its invasion in February 2022.
The official told AFP that Russian President Vladimir Putin “wants territory,” while the United States is insisting that Ukraine pull back, a proposal Kyiv is refusing to accept.
“It’s a bit striking that the Americans are taking the Russians’ position on this issue,” the official added.
Currently, Moscow controls nearly all of Luhansk and approximately 80 percent of Donetsk, according to the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War.
Meanwhile, a poll published today by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), based on 550 respondents, found that 75 percent of Ukrainians oppose giving up Donbas.
French senators on Monday approved a revised 2026 budget bill that the government warned could worsen the country’s fiscal deficit, setting the stag...
Flooding in Bolivia’s eastern Santa Cruz region has killed at least 20 people after an overflowing river swept through multiple communities, authori...
Shadow Trade is an investigative documentary by AnewZ that examines how global sanctions imposed after Russia’s 2022 war in Ukraine have been weaken...
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have signed a new agreement on the transportation of natural gas through Uzbek territory, strengthening bilateral energy coo...
Filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead in their Los Angeles home in an apparent homicide, with police arresting their son, Nick Rei...
French senators on Monday approved a revised 2026 budget bill that the government warned could worsen the country’s fiscal deficit, setting the stage for tense negotiations between parliament’s two chambers later this week.
Kazakhstan is assessing the scale of damage and potential losses following a recent attack on infrastructure operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, a key export route for the country’s oil.
The Taliban leadership in Afghanistan opted out of a major regional meeting held in Iran’s capital Tehran on Sunday.
Oil prices are rising worldwide as investors assess supply risks linked to growing tensions between the United States and Venezuela after the former seized an oil tanker Skipper on 10 December, a move Caracas calls “international piracy”.
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, has said that Ukraine has not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of children it alleges were taken illegally to Russia, despite the issue being discussed during talks in Istanbul.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has offered condolences to President Donald Trump following an ISIS attack near the ancient city of Palmyra that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter, Syrian and U.S. officials said Sunday.
French senators on Monday approved a revised 2026 budget bill that the government warned could worsen the country’s fiscal deficit, setting the stage for tense negotiations between parliament’s two chambers later this week.
Flooding in Bolivia’s eastern Santa Cruz region has killed at least 20 people after an overflowing river swept through multiple communities, authorities said on Monday, with the toll expected to increase as rescue teams reach areas that were previously inaccessible.
Filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead in their Los Angeles home in an apparent homicide, with police arresting their son, Nick Reiner, who is being held on a $4 million bond.
Thailand’s military has halted fuel shipments through a key border checkpoint with Laos, citing intelligence that supplies were being diverted to Cambodian forces amid escalating clashes along the disputed frontier.
Afghanistan’s cities are facing worsening electricity shortages that are disrupting daily life and compounding an already severe humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment