Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised progress made with U.S. negotiators after two days of talks in Berlin, as European leaders pledged to support Kiev in case of a future Russian attack to end more than a decade of aggression cycles.
Still, questions remain about the detailed functionality of how the territory and especially the security provided by the United States will work in practice.
European countries also welcomed the outcome of the talks and later listed support measures including “military forces, intelligence and logistics, economic and diplomatic activities.”
In a joint statement released Monday night, European leaders gave the most detailed outline yet of the security they are prepared to provide Ukraine.
These include:
- It provides “continuous and significant support” to the Ukrainian military, which has a peacetime strength of approximately 800,000 soldiers.
- A European-led “multinational force” operates on Ukrainian soil, based on the activities of a “coalition of the willing” chaired by France and the United Kingdom.
- A U.S.-led mechanism to monitor and verify a final ceasefire.
- States can decide how to support Ukraine with “legally binding commitments” to restore peace in case of future armed attacks.
- Investments will be made in the reconstruction and reconstruction of Ukraine, while keeping the assets of the Russian Central Bank firmly anchored.
- Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
of statement The agreement was signed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schuch, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gare Store, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The bill has also been signed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, and is left open for other countries to approve.
“Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, and all parties must work intensively towards a solution that can guarantee a lasting end to the fighting.”
The two-day Berlin meeting was also attended by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who met with Zelensky on Sunday.
European leaders took part in a second round of talks on Monday.
President Zelenskiy said on social media: “I am grateful that we cooperated so well.”
“In my view, there are some things that are destructive and definitely not useful to us. It is important that they are not present in the new version of the document. This is important because dignity is important.”
President Zelenskiy said territory was the most difficult issue to negotiate, with major disagreements with Russia, which wants to seize as much land as possible.
“I believe that the US side will act as a mediator and propose various measures to at least find some form of agreement,” he said.
“We will do our best to find clear answers to questions about security guarantees, territory, compensation for the reconstruction of Ukraine, etc.,” he said.
Challenge to Moscow
In a joint statement, European leaders stressed that all territorial decisions should be taken by the Ukrainian people “with strong security in place” and pledged to support Zelenskiy if he chooses to hold a referendum.
“Borders must not be changed by force,” the leaders said.
European countries have called on Russia to “demonstrate its willingness to work towards lasting peace” by agreeing to a peace plan promoted by the White House and establishing a ceasefire, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly failed to take this important step.
It is worth noting that the statement does not specify a deadline for Ukraine to become a member of the EU, although previous media reports had put it as January 2027. The European Commission says the process needs to remain “merit-based” as each candidate evolves.
“Any agreement must protect long-term security, Euro-Atlantic unity, and NATO’s role in providing strong deterrence,” they said. “All factors affecting the EU and NATO will be discussed between EU and NATO member states, respectively.”
Officials close to the Berlin negotiations praised the fact that the United States agreed to participate in the security effort, given its military capabilities and intelligence gathering that European countries cannot yet match.
“The United States will be the backstop, providing intelligence and air support capabilities that no one else can,” the source told Euronews, noting that the main focus of the operation would be Ukrainian forces supported by a multinational “coalition of the willing.”
“As part of this, countries will discuss what to do in Ukraine, which is expected to occur across multiple domains: land, sea, air, cyber and space.”
The diplomatic developments in Berlin come just days before EU leaders are scheduled to gather for a key summit in Brussels to decide how to raise 90 billion euros to cover Ukraine’s budget and military needs in 2026 and 2027.
The main proposals on the table are: Interest-free compensation loan The plan is based on the locked-up assets of Russia’s central bank, and its approval has been called into question after opposition from the main custodians of the funds, Belgium and the reservation states of Italy, Bulgaria, Malta and the Czech Republic.
“I understand the concern. I don’t share the concern,” Mertz said Monday. “But we very much hope that Belgium, the country most affected by this decision, will take a step in the right direction with us. It would be a good idea to support Ukraine.”
This article has been updated.
