US envoy Witkoff to meet European leaders, Zelenskyy in Berlin

U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Steven Witkoff will meet with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin this weekend, the Wall Street Journal reported on December 12, citing sources.

Witkoff is scheduled to hold talks with negotiators from the United Kingdom, Germany, and France on December 14-15. 

The WSJ noted that the U.S. decision to send Witkoff reflects Washington’s aim to bridge differences with Kyiv over the terms of a proposed peace deal.

French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and their senior advisers are expected to participate in the discussions.

European leaders had initially sought a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump this weekend to present their proposals for a U.S.-led peace plan.

Trump previously indicated that Washington would send a representative only if it believed the talks could yield tangible results.

Witkoff has engaged with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Kyiv’s negotiators several times in recent months amid efforts to advance a U.S.-backed peace plan.

In mid-November 2025, a planned trilateral meeting in Ankara with Zelenskyy and Türkiye’s foreign minister was postponed, as Ukrainian officials preferred a broader European format for discussions.

Early December saw Witkoff, alongside Jared Kushner, hold talks in Miami with Ukraine’s negotiators, Rustem Umierov and Andrii Hnatov. Following these sessions, Zelenskyy engaged in a substantive phone conversation with Witkoff and Kushner to review next steps in the peace process.

On December 1, a multilateral call brought together Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Witkoff, and Ukraine’s chief negotiator. Zelenskyy described the briefing as important for coordinating further contacts.

Plans for a Brussels meeting were subsequently cancelled after Witkoff’s Moscow talks with Vladimir Putin failed to yield tangible results, preventing a face-to-face meeting with Zelenskyy

By Aghakazim Guliyev