High-Stakes Ukraine Peace Talks Underway in Berlin

High-level Ukraine peace talks are underway in Berlin, bringing together President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, senior U.S. envoys tied to President Donald Trump, and key European leaders. Negotiations are focused on the future of territories Russia seeks to retain in eastern and southern Ukraine, including Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.

According to diplomatic sources, the U.S. administration is signaling openness to allowing some of these regions to fall under Russian control as part of a broader settlement. President Zelenskyy is resisting major territorial concessions, but has indicated he could drop Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership if Ukraine receives strong, legally binding U.S.-backed security guarantees approved by Congress.