Merz to hold talks with Zelenskyy on economy and peace
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Friedrich Merz (Getty Images)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin on Monday, December 15, to discuss economic matters and ongoing peace negotiations, reports APA, citing German government spokesperson Stefan Cornelius.
"German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will host Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday for German-Ukrainian economic talks and an exchange of views on the progress of peace negotiations in Ukraine," Cornelius said.
He added that several EU and NATO leaders will join the discussions after this meeting.
"Numerous European heads of state and government, as well as EU and NATO leaders, will join the discussions that evening," the German Government Spokesperson concluded.
Meeting in Berlin on the US peace plan
The United States, Ukraine, and Europe have been finalizing a US peace plan for nearly a month, which was initially seen as favoring Russia.
The revision was necessary because the initial version of the document favored Russia and effectively included all of Moscow's "main demands."
The peace plan has now been revised and reduced from 28 points to 20. Recent reports indicate the parties are discussing three key initiatives: a framework document, security guarantees, and a document that lays the foundations for post-war reconstruction.
On Saturday, December 14, WSJ reported that Trump would send his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to Berlin for meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders.
According to the WSJ sources, the White House aims to secure a peace agreement on Ukraine by the end of the year.
The meeting in Berlin between the US and Ukrainian delegations took place today and lasted over three hours. Negotiation details were not disclosed. President Zelenskyy's Communications Adviser Dmytro Lytvyn confirmed that the parties agreed to continue talks tomorrow.
