French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, front row from left, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Dick Schoof,Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, back row from left, stand together in the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, pool)
Substantial progress was made over the weekend in peace talks in Berlin aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, senior U.S. officials said on Dec. 15.
Speaking to reporters in a call, the officials said the talks resulted in the strongest possible package, including “robust” security guarantees for Ukraine, similar to NATO’s Article 5 protections.
These guarantees are intended to deter and address any future territorial violations by Moscow.
Officials did not disclose the details of the guarantees but said the president will seek Senate approval. They expressed confidence that Russia may accept these terms.
“What’s on the table is really the platinum standard for what can be offered,” a U.S. official said during the call. “It would have to go before the Senate, and President [Donald] Trump is willing to do that.”
Over the past weekend, U.S. negotiators—special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law—spent 2 1/2 days in Europe engaging with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his delegation, and several European leaders, including national security advisers, foreign ministers, and some heads of state.
This included eight hours of direct discussions with Zelenskyy himself, the officials said. Representatives held discussions about the details of the 20-point peace plan to end the war in Ukraine.
“Giving this NATO-like Article Five guarantee is something that President Trump believes he can get Russia to accept,” one official said.
“This is by far the biggest part of the deal, and I think that the Ukrainian side will hopefully tell you that they’re quite pleased and positive on what’s being offered.”
He noted that ending the war is a strategic priority for Trump, as the president believes that peace could bring many benefits to the United States.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump described the talks as “amazing.”
“We’re getting closer,” he said, referring to the peace deal. “We’re having tremendous support from European leaders.”
Trump also commented on security guarantees for Ukraine, saying they are intended to prevent another war.
On territorial issues, differences remain. However, talks over the weekend have narrowed gaps, with some issues resolved and multiple potential solutions identified to bridge remaining gaps, the officials said.
The U.S. team emphasized that Trump will not pressure Ukraine to cede territory, leaving decisions about what is next to Zelenskyy.
Other key elements include Russia’s potential acceptance of Ukraine’s path to European Union membership and a “prosperity package” involving the World Bank and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink to support Ukraine’s economic recovery.
Kyiv’s top negotiator, Rustem Umerov, also hailed the progress made over the weekend.
“Over the past two days, Ukrainian–US negotiations have been constructive and productive, with real progress achieved. We hope we will reach an agreement that will bring us closer to peace by the end of the day,” Umerov said in a post on X.
Umerov said that observers should ignore “rumors and provocations.”
“The American team led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are working extremely constructively to help Ukraine find a way to a peace agreement that lasts,” he said.
It remains unclear how discussions have progressed on territorial concessions, which have been key sticking points in the negotiations.
The U.S. official said 90 percent of the issues between Russia and Ukraine have been resolved.
As a next step, the official said a follow-up meeting will take place this weekend in the United States, potentially in Miami, to resolve the remaining issues. Working groups and military representatives will meet to review maps, the official noted, and the parties are prepared to meet in Russia and Ukraine as well.
The draft peace plan revealed on Nov. 20 proposed that Ukraine cede Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk to Russia, while Kherson and Zaporizhzhia would be frozen along the line of contact, effectively granting de facto recognition.
The plan also required Ukraine to amend its constitution to commit to not joining NATO and for the alliance to adopt a statute barring Ukraine from future membership.
Ukraine and European allies largely pushed back against the original draft.
In recent weeks, Washington has held bilateral negotiations with both Moscow and Kyiv, but no direct talks have taken place between Russia and Ukraine.
