Saturday 13 / December / 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Berlin on Monday for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and "many" other NATO and European allies, a German government spokesperson said Friday.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are also reportedly expected at the meeting to discuss the latest developments in a US-led plan to end the war in Ukraine.
On Friday, Merz said there is still a major need to resolve questions in international efforts to end the war and provide security guarantees for Ukraine.
"The discussions are being conducted very intensively these days," Merz said. "We are trying to involve the US government in the talks we are having among ourselves, as well as with the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian president."
Merz said talks about security guarantees mainly focus on strengthening the Ukrainian military in the long run and ensuring the country can protect itself on its own.
"We are ready to make our own contributions to this. Contributions from the US side will also be needed," Merz said, adding that the question of how and in what details this will be integrated into an overall concept remains open.
EU membership 'political anchor' in Ukraine peace deal, EU commissioner says
Ukraine could join the European Union as early as January 2027 under the latest US plan to end the war with Russia. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos told DW about the possibility of Ukraine joining the EU and the move being part of the peace plan.
"When we speak about the Ukrainian EU membership, for me this is a political anchor of the security guarantees," she said, adding that integration into the EU was the only way "to secure the lasting and fair peace."
On whether 2027 was a realistic timing, Kos said it all still depended on how quickly Ukraine can implement reforms and the input from the bloc's 27 current member states on the topic of accepting Ukraine.
"We can take care that Ukraine will be democratic," she said. "We can take care that the people would really feel the benefits of being a member of the EU."
EU will move Ukraine membership forward despite Hungary veto
In an unprecedented move, the European Commission will move Ukraine's membership process forward at a technical level despite Hungaryblocking official talks on accession.
Under the new plan, the Ukrainian government will push ahead with reforms needed to meet EU eligibility criteria. EU staffers will assess Kyiv's progress in aligning with the bloc's laws and standards in areas like judicial independence unofficially — circumventing Budapest's veto on opening formal negotiations.
The EU's enlargement commissioner, Marta Kos, told DW she received "clear instructions" to advance Ukraine's bid from EU ministers meeting in Lviv earlier this week.
"I'm very, very happy and encouraged to go even faster in this process," she said.
Hungary's backing will still be required for any final decisions on membership, with unanimous support from all current members necessary for any new countries to join the currently 27-member bloc.
"At some point, we will have to find unanimity," Kos acknowledged when pressed on the feasibility of the plan. "But for the time being, for the technical part, we can go on."
Russian forces have claimed control of the city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine's Donetsk region after months of fierce fighting, while Ukraine says it still holds a sliver of the city. The battle for this strategic crossroads could open the way to the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Moscow now controls 19% of Ukraine, but very limited gains have come at a huge human cost.
As winter bites, Russia pounds energy infrastructure, while Ukraine strikes oil facilities and tankers. Both sides escalate as the United States and Europe prepare different peace plans.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Turkmenistan, proposing a limited ceasefire in the Ukraine-Russia war.
The plan focuses on protecting energy facilities and ports.
Erdogan's office said the two leaders also discussed broader peace efforts and the EU's freezing of Russian assets.
Ankara recently condemned drone attacks on tankers in the Black Sea, calling them a dangerous escalation.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Turkey is working on a ceasefire plan tied to energy infrastructure and shipping. He said Kyiv supports the idea and is ready for talks.
