Germany is hosting a meeting between the US and Ukrainian delegations to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine, a German official said. The meeting will take place ahead of a summit between European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin on Monday.
A US official said US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner have left for Germany to hold talks with Ukrainian and European representatives.
The decision to send Witkoff, who has been leading talks with Ukraine and Russia on a US peace proposal, is seen as a sign that Washington sees an opportunity to make progress in ending the nearly four-year war that began after Russia invaded in 2022.
The White House said on Thursday that Trump would only send an official to negotiate if there was a chance of significant progress in the talks.
The era of 'Pax Americana' is over
Asked about the meeting, a German government source said on Saturday that “this weekend, foreign policy advisers from the United States, Ukraine and other countries will meet in Berlin to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is hosting a summit with Zelensky and European leaders in Berlin on Monday. The conference is being organised as part of a show of support for the Ukrainian leader from allies across Europe. The conference is being held at a time when Kiev is under pressure from Washington to sign a peace plan that initially supports Moscow’s main demands.
The UK, France and Germany have been working for weeks to refine the US proposals. A draft of the proposal was leaked last month. It called for Kiev to give up more territory, abandon its ambitions to join NATO and limit its armed forces.
In a speech on Saturday, Merz said Europe must be prepared for a radical change in its relationship with the United States in the face of the growing threat from Russia.
“For us in Europe and for Germany as well, the era of Pax Americana (US-backed stability in the West) is largely over. It no longer exists as we knew it. And nostalgia cannot change this reality,” the German chancellor said at a party conference in the southern city of Munich.
“The Americans are now pursuing their own interests even more vigorously. And that can only mean one thing: we must now act to protect our own interests.”
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