December 13, 2025
US plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine: Where it stands now
US President Donald Trump expressed frustration over slow progress in bringing the Ukraine war to an end and wants definitive action, the White House said on Thursday.
The progress in negotiations has been hindered by fact that Ukraine, Russia, the US and Europe are all pursuing different goals.
Here is a quick overview of the key points:
- Ukraine wants security guarantees, rejects territorial concessions and wants to keep the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
- Russia seeks control of all of the Donbas region and opposes NATO expansion
- Europe and NATO are pushing for a fair peace and warn of the urgent threat to Europe from Russia
- The US wants the war to end soon and is increasingly frustrated with the protracted peace talks
Read here for a more in-depth look.
https://p.dw.com/p/55HP6
December 13, 2025
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy set to meet US envoy in Berlin
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior European leaders in Berlin this weekend to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the White House said on Friday.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will also be in attendance.
A timeline for the planned talks has not been released.
The talks, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, come as Washington steps up pressure on Kyiv to advance negotiations based on a US-led peace proposal.
Germany said Berlin will also host EU and NATO leaders early next week following a German-Ukrainian business forum attended by Zelenskyy and Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Ukrainian officials have submitted an updated peace plan to Washington, while European leaders are seeking US security guarantees before Kyiv considers any territorial concessions to Russia.
https://p.dw.com/p/55HLh
Welcome to our coverage
Welcome to our coverage of the latest developments from Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Over this weekend, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy will meet with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in Berlin.
This comes after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that Trump is “extremely frustrated” with Russia and Ukraine as he pushes his ceasefire plan.
Keep reading as we track developments throughout the day.
https://p.dw.com/p/55HL5
