European leaders strengthen support for Ukraine amid US pressure on peace proposal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy/PHOTO via X @ZelenskyyUa

European leaders are expected to strengthen support for Ukraine as the country faces pressure from Washington to quickly accept a US-mediated peace deal.

After Sunday's talks in Berlin between US envoys and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian and European officials will continue a series of meetings in an effort to secure peace and security on the continent amid Russia's escalating aggression.

Zelenskyy met on Sunday with US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, at the German federal chancellery in hopes of ending the nearly four-year war.

Washington has been trying for months to navigate the demands of both sides as Trump has urged the Russian war to end soon and become increasingly annoyed with the delay.

The search for a compromise may have hit a major obstacle, including control over Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, which is largely occupied by Russian forces.

The US government said late Sunday in a social media post on Witkoff's account after the five-hour meeting that "much progress has been made."

Earlier that day, Zelenskyy expressed his willingness to cancel his country's bid to join NATO if the US and other Western countries provided Kyiv with security guarantees similar to those offered to NATO members. However, Ukraine continues to reject US demands to surrender territory to Russia.

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Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the Donetsk region that is still under its control as one of the main conditions for peace.

The Russian president also considered Ukraine's offer to join NATO as a major threat to Moscow's security and a reason to launch a full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The Kremlin has demanded that Ukraine cancel its bid for alliance membership as part of any prospective peace deal.

Zelenskyy stressed that any Western security guarantees must be legally binding and backed by the US Congress.