Berlin negotiations: Bild details Zelenskyy's non-negotiable red line
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukraine is ready to make numerous compromises and even temporarily give up part of its territory. However, there is one “red line” that is not open for discussion, according to Bild.
According to the outlet, everything is at stake in Berlin today. The question is whether Russia’s war against Ukraine will be frozen after more than 45 months, or whether it will remain as hot and deadly as before.
“Although Zelenskyy (President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy – ed.) is ready to freeze the front line and temporarily concede to Russia the occupied territories of Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, a withdrawal from Donetsk is unacceptable for the Ukrainian president,” the article says.
The media outlet recalls that the United States proposed withdrawing Ukrainian troops from about 5,600 square kilometers of the Donetsk region that have not been occupied by the Russian army and turning the area into a “demilitarized economic zone.”
Russia immediately supported the proposal, suggesting that only the National Guard be deployed there — a unit that fights on the front lines alongside the Russian army. However, Zelenskyy responded that this would not be fair.
According to Bild, Ukrainian officials fear that Russia would break its promise and occupy the territories vacated by Ukrainian forces, which would effectively amount to capitulation.
“We will not accept this,” a senior Ukrainian official told the outlet.
“If Ukrainian troops pull back several kilometers, why shouldn’t Russian forces do the same in the occupied territories? This issue is being discussed extremely delicately and very intensely,” the official added.
According to him, Ukraine is ready to make numerous compromises, even a temporary renunciation of part of its territory, but a unilateral and voluntary withdrawal from the front line remains unacceptable.
Talks in Berlin
Yesterday, December 14, US officials held several hours of talks in Berlin with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Media reports say the United States is pushing for a peace agreement by the end of the year. Still, there are significant differences between the parties, particularly regarding control over territories in the Donbas.
Today, December 15, the delegations are set to continue negotiations. Several European leaders are expected to join the talks, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
