Russia-Ukraine deal ‘closer than ever’: Trump says after key talks in Berlin

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Dec 15) said that a deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine was “closer than ever”. He made the remarks as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held discussions with key leaders in Berlin as part of efforts to end the war, where Europeans proposed a “multinational force” to enforce a potential peace accord. Meanwhile, Zelensky described the discussions with US envoys as challenging but constructive, stating that the talks yielded tangible progress despite their complexity.

“I think we’re closer now than we have been ever,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He added that he had “very long and very good talks” with Zelensky and others, including the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and NATO.

Following the talks in Germany, European leaders issued a joint statement proposing a force as part of the US-backed “robust security guarantees” that would guarantee that Russia would not violate a peace agreement to end the war that started in 2022 after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.

Zelensky said that the talks with Trump’s envoys were “not easy” but brought “progress”.

“These conversations are always not easy, I'll be honest with you. But it was a productive conversation, with a lot of details, really a lot,” he said after his meeting on the second day with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

“There has been sufficient dialogue on the territory, and I think that, frankly speaking, we still have different positions,” Zelensky told reporters.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the talks had created the “chance for a real peace process”. He also praised the US for offering “substantial” security guarantees.

The European statement, which was signed by leaders, including those of Britain, France and Germany, also stated that the Ukrainian military should continue receiving support and maintain a peacetime strength of 800,000 troops.

It added that peace would be maintained by a “US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism”, which would identify violations and “provide early warning of any future attack.”