President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine will not recognise the Donbas as Russian, either in practice or in law, after talks in Berlin with the US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
His remarks came as Washington pressed Kyiv to consider a withdrawal from the parts of Donetsk region still held by the Ukrainian government, while floating a separate package of security guarantees intended to deter a renewed Russian attack.
The American side has offered commitments modelled on NATO’s Article 5 mutual defence clause. Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said he had heard American negotiators describe a response that would be “military” if Russia attacked again.
Zelenskyy’s refusal to treat Donbas as Russian is aimed at both legal status and on-the-ground arrangements. He told reporters that Ukraine would not accept any “de jure or de facto” recognition of Russian sovereignty in the east.
The territorial issue remains the main obstacle in the current round of diplomacy. Reuters reported that US officials were leaning on Ukraine to pull its forces back from the eastern Donetsk region. Other reports described an American idea to create a demilitarised “free economic zone” along or near the existing front line, with Kyiv questioning who would administer such an area and what would prevent Russian forces from moving in once Ukrainian units withdrew.
Zelenskyy said that discussions about economic arrangements did not imply Russian control over any territory. In Berlin, European leaders backing Ukraine argued that security guarantees should come before any decisions on territory. Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, hosted the meetings, which also included leaders from several European states.
A joint statement by European leaders after the Berlin meetings backed an approach combining continued military support for Ukraine, a European-led multinational force and a US-backed mechanism to monitor any ceasefire. Reuters reported that the statement also highlighted air and maritime security and the need to sustain Ukraine’s military capacity.
The talks have been framed by the Trump administration as an attempt to assemble a joint Western position that could then be presented to Moscow. President Donald Trump said in Washington that he believed a deal was closer than at any previous point, after he called into a dinner involving officials gathered in Berlin.
Moscow has not signalled acceptance of the ideas discussed in Germany. Reuters noted that Russia had yet to agree to changes under discussion. The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia’s demand that Ukraine not join NATO was a fundamental issue in any peace settlement.
US officials said talks had resolved about 90% of issues, with territory still outstanding. Zelenskyy said he would seek tougher sanctions and more arms, including long-range weapons, if Putin rejected the proposals. He also backed a Christmas-period ceasefire on energy strikes.
Ukraine has indicated it could set aside its ambition to join NATO in exchange for guarantees from the United States and European partners. Le Monde reported that Zelenskyy argued for “legally binding” assurances and said any agreement should be ratified by the US Congress, reflecting concern that political shifts in Washington could weaken commitments over time.
American officials cited by Reuters said working groups were expected to meet in the United States this weekend, possibly in Miami, and added that US negotiators were prepared to travel to Russia again if needed. Witkoff and Kushner previously met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
The emerging outline links territorial questions, security guarantees and the future structure of Ukraine’s external alignments. One unresolved issue is whether guarantees offered outside NATO would provide the same deterrent value as formal membership. Another is whether Russia would accept an arrangement that strengthens Ukraine’s security while leaving the legal status of occupied areas unchanged.
Zelenskyy has said that if Russia rejects the proposals developed with the United States and European partners, Kyiv would seek additional sanctions and more weapons from Washington. For now, the Berlin process has produced detailed discussions on Western guarantees but no clear indication that Moscow is ready to accept the trade-offs implied by the plan.
