European leaders are set to reaffirm backing for Ukraine on Monday as Washington pressures Kyiv to quickly accept a U.S.-brokered peace plan, amid ongoing high-level talks in Berlin.
Peace discussions involving U.S. envoys, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European officials resumed Monday morning as part of efforts to secure regional stability in the face of Russia’s growing assertiveness. The second day of talks began shortly before noon local time.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb, a key intermediary between U.S. President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy, was seen in downtown Berlin Monday morning. Zelenskyy met Sunday with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner at the German federal chancellery to explore ways to end the nearly four-year conflict.
The U.S. has sought to balance the demands of both sides, with Trump pressing for a swift resolution. Key hurdles remain, including control of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, largely occupied by Russian forces. Following a five-hour meeting, the U.S. said via Witkoff’s social media account that “a lot of progress was made.”
Zelenskyy earlier indicated readiness to drop Ukraine’s NATO bid if Western countries provide security guarantees comparable to NATO members. However, Kyiv continues to reject U.S. proposals to cede territory to Russia. Moscow demands Ukraine withdraw from parts of Donetsk under Kyiv’s control and abandon its NATO ambitions, which Russian President Vladimir Putin cites as a security threat. Zelenskyy stressed that any Western assurances must be legally binding and backed by the U.S. Congress.
The Kremlin said Monday it expects updates on the Berlin talks once concluded. Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called predicting a peace deal timeline “a thankless task,” adding that Putin is open to serious negotiations but not to stalling tactics.
In London, new MI6 chief Blaise Metreweli is set to warn that Putin’s global ambitions are reshaping conflict and security challenges.
Meanwhile, Russia launched 153 drones at Ukraine overnight Sunday into Monday. Ukraine’s Air Force reported neutralizing 133 drones, with 17 hitting targets. Russia claimed to have destroyed 146 Ukrainian drones, including 18 over Moscow, temporarily halting flights at Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports. Damage and casualties are not yet confirmed.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, leading European support for Ukraine alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said Saturday that the era of “Pax Americana” is largely over for Europe and Germany. He warned that Putin aims to redraw European borders and restore the former Soviet Union. Macron affirmed France’s commitment to Ukraine’s security and sovereignty on Sunday, pledging to help build lasting peace in Europe.
Ciobanu reported from Warsaw. Pietro De Cristofaro in Berlin, Illia Novikov in Kyiv, and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester contributed.