Whitcoff announced progress in meeting with Zelensky 0 5

During a meeting in Berlin with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, "significant progress" was made towards ending hostilities. This statement was made in a post by U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Stephen Whitcoff, on the social network X on Sunday, December 14.

Consultations between the American and Ukrainian delegations regarding a possible ceasefire in Ukraine lasted more than 5 hours, noted Whitcoff. Trump's advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also participated in the meeting.

The parties "held in-depth discussions" on a 20-point peace settlement plan, economic issues, and other topics, according to Whitcoff's post.

Merz: We want lasting peace in Ukraine

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was also present at the beginning of the discussions, but according to dpa, he left the meeting, leaving his representative behind.

"We want lasting peace in Ukraine," Merz wrote on the social network X. "We face complex issues, but we are determined to move forward," he added.

Consultations will continue on December 15

On Monday, December 15, the consultations will continue. In the evening, heads of European states and governments, as well as leaders of the EU and NATO, will join the negotiations, AFP reminded.

Earlier, Reuters reported that in response to journalists' questions in a WhatsApp chat, the President of Ukraine stated that the peace proposals would contain compromises. In particular, Kyiv is ready to accept legally binding security guarantees from the U.S., European, and other partners instead of NATO membership, the agency wrote.

Additionally, Reuters noted that on December 14, Volodymyr Zelensky called a "fair option" the freezing of hostilities along the current front line. Russia has repeatedly demanded that Kyiv withdraw Ukrainian troops even from those parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that the Russian Armed Forces have not managed to capture.