Volodymyr Zelensky was greeted by German leader Friedrich Merz in Berlin ahead of the talks

Ukraine drops NATO goal as peace talks in Berlin extended

· RTE.ie

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to drop Ukraine's aspirations to join the NATO military alliance as he held hours of talks with US envoys in Berlin to end the war with Russia, with negotiations set to continue tomorrow.

No more details were immediately available of the meetings between Mr Zelensky and US Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in the latest push to end Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II.

Mr Zelensky's adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said the president would comment on the talk say once they were completed. Officials, Mr Lytvyn said, were considering the draft documents.

"They went on for more than five hours and ended for today with an agreement to resume tomorrow morning," Mr Lytvyn told reporters in a WhatsApp chat.

Ahead of the talks, Mr Zelensky offered to drop Ukraine's goal to join NATO in exchange for Western security guarantees.

The move marks a major shift for Ukraine, which has fought to join NATO as a safeguard against Russian attacks and has such an aspiration included in its constitution. It also meets one of Russia's war aims, although Ukraine has so far held firm against ceding territory to Russia.

Mr Zelensky met the US envoys at talks hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who a source said had made brief remarks before leaving the two sides to negotiate. Other European leaders are also due in Germany for talks.

"From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join NATO, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the USa nd Europe did not support this direction," Mr Zelensky said in answer to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat.

"Thus, today, bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the US, Article 5-like guarantees for us from the US, and security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries - Canada, Japan - are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion," Mr Zelensky said.

"And it is already a compromise on our part," he said, adding the security guarantees should be legally binding.

A police sniper team stands on the roof of the Chancellery prior to the arrival of US negotiators in Berlin
Two limousines with blue police lights arrive at the Chancellery following the arrival of US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Berlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded Ukraine officially renounce its NATO ambitions and withdraw troops from the about 10% of Donbas which Ukraine still controls. Russia has also said Ukraine must be a neutral country and no NATO troops can be stationed in Ukraine.

Russian sources said earlier this year that Mr Putin wants a "written" pledge by major Western powers not to enlarge the US-led NATO alliance eastwards - shorthand for formally ruling out membership to Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and other former Soviet republics.

A policeman holds an anti-drone cannon near the chancellery in Berlin

Sending Mr Witkoff, who has led negotiations with Ukraine and Russia on a US peace proposal, appeared to be a signal that Washington saw a chance of progress nearly four years after Russia's 2022 invasion.

Under pressure from Mr Trump to sign a peace deal that initially backed Moscow's demands, Mr Zelensky accused Russia of dragging out the war through deadly bombings of cities and Ukraine's power and water supplies.

He said Ukraine, the Europeans and the US are looking at a 20-point plan and at the end of this there is a ceasefire.

A ceasefire along the current front lines would be a fair option, he added.