The latest political consultations held in Berlin on December 15th demonstrated the deepening tensions surrounding Ukraine. AFP, citing a source familiar with the negotiation process in the German capital, reports that the US side is demanding serious political concessions from Kyiv to reach a peace agreement with Russia.
According to the source, Washington has once again brought to the agenda the issue of transferring all of Ukraine's Donbas territory to Moscow's control as a condition for ending the war with Russia. The interlocutor noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin "intends to take the entire territory," and the US is asking Kyiv to retreat in this direction. However, Ukraine categorically refuses to withdraw troops from parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which it currently controls.
The AFP source noted that the Americans' close position to Russia on this issue is surprising both for Kyiv and for some observers. This situation further exacerbates the problem of trust in negotiations.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia currently controls almost the entire Luhansk region and approximately 80% of the Donetsk region. Kremlin officials also do not intend to abandon these goals. In particular, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov stated on December 12th that all of Donbas would "sooner or later" fall into Russian hands, if not through negotiations, then through military means.
Vladimir Putin, in an interview with India Today in early December, openly threatened that the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" and "Luhansk People's Republic" would be "freed in any case." According to him, either Ukrainian troops will withdraw from these territories, or Russia will seize them with armed force.
Kyiv officials, however, do not accept such an approach. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasized that he does not have the authority to single-handedly decide on the transfer of the country's territories or their fate; this issue can only be resolved through a referendum. According to a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology at the end of September and the beginning of October of this year, 71% of Ukrainians expressed opposition to the surrender of Donbas.
On December 15, the second round of negotiations between the Ukrainian and US delegations on the plan to end the Russo-Ukrainian war concluded in Berlin. It was attended by Volodymyr Zelenskyy and special representatives of the US President - Stephen Whitkoff and Jared Kushner.
In the evening, Zelenskyy was received by German Chancellor Friedrich Mers. At a press conference following the meeting, the Ukrainian leader openly stated that Kyiv and Washington still have "different views" on the regional issue. According to him, the US is increasingly acting as a supplier of Russian demands.
During his visit to Berlin, Zelenskyy is also scheduled to meet with UK Prime Minister Kir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. These negotiations are of particular importance for Ukraine in terms of strengthening European support.
In short, the meetings in Berlin once again showed that the path to peace is not easy, and the Donbas issue will remain at the center of political disputes for a long time.
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