Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Germany for an official visit, where he plans to hold important negotiations aimed at strengthening the country’s security. During the trip, a meeting is scheduled between the Ukrainian delegation and the American negotiating team.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Main Focus — Security Guarantees
The President emphasized that the main goal of the negotiations is to develop reliable security guarantees for Ukraine, in order to avoid a repeat of the negative experience of the Budapest Memorandum and Russia’s invasion. Zelensky expects a constructive dialogue with foreign partners.
“We are focusing on how to reliably guarantee security for Ukraine so that the experience of the Budapest Memorandum and Russia’s invasion never happens again. We are counting on constructive negotiations,” Zelensky stated.
He also stressed that it is important for Ukraine to achieve practical solutions that can impact the situation at the front. The negotiations in Berlin are expected to discuss a 20-point plan, among which a key demand is a ceasefire. Zelensky highlighted that the current time requires respect for strength, not just for values or international law, reminding that Russia should have been condemned for aggression more than ten years ago.
Involvement of International Partners and the U.S. Position
In Berlin, Zelensky will meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Representatives from the United Kingdom, France, and possibly Poland and Italy will also join the negotiations. Earlier, Western media reported on this visit, clarifying the composition of the negotiation participants.
The head of the Ukrainian state emphasized that the country seeks legally binding security guarantees, rather than a repeat of the Budapest Memorandum situation. Zelensky noted that consultations with the U.S. are ongoing, and Ukraine insists that American support in the event of new Russian aggression be approved by Congress.
Last week, a meeting took place in Moscow between American representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Vladimir Putin, during which the parameters of a potential peace agreement were discussed. However, according to Putin, the Russian side did not agree with some points of the American plan to end the war.
After this meeting, the Ukrainian delegation continued consultations with representatives of the Trump administration in the U.S. In an interview with Politico, Donald Trump expressed the view that Russia currently holds significantly stronger positions in negotiations and advised Zelensky to agree to the American peace initiative, which involves significant concessions from Ukraine.
At the same time, Ukrainian and European officials are skeptical about the sincerity of Russia’s intentions, while Trump described Putin’s position as serious. The American Institute for the Study of War has repeatedly emphasized that the Kremlin is not inclined towards honest dialogue and is not ready for compromise, insisting on Ukraine’s capitulation.