The US negotiators pressed Ukraine to cede the remaining Donbas territory during the Berlin talks

U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner pressed Ukrainian officials during talks in Berlin on December 14 to relinquish the parts of the Donbas region that remain under Kyiv’s control, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

The meeting, which included Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, and Trump’s son-in-law, Kushner, was described by Witkoff as having reached “significant progress.” However, Ukrainian officials continue to argue that any ceasefire must be reached without prior territorial concessions to Russia.

An official briefed on the talks said Washington is still pushing Kyiv to withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts as a precondition for peace negotiations with Moscow. The source said the U.S. position reflects Russia’s longstanding demand for territorial control in eastern Ukraine, a stance Ukrainian negotiators have rejected.

The official added that the American approach has raised concern among Ukrainian and European participants, as it closely mirrors the Kremlin’s position on territorial issues.

The talks took place as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hosted high-level crisis diplomacy in Berlin. Merz is expected to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with other European leaders, as well as NATO and European Union officials, set to join later to signal continued support for Ukraine.

Russia wants to dictate the conditions: ISW explained what is behind the Kremlin's statements regarding the peace plan

The Kremlin has signaled that it is preparing to reject any revised versions of a U.S.-backed peace plan for Ukraine, including proposals incorporating Ukrainian and European positions, according to an assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

ISW analysts note that Moscow has already dismissed key elements of the original 28-point peace framework promoted by the United States and is now laying the groundwork to oppose subsequent drafts, even those largely favorable to Russia. The moves suggest that the Kremlin has little intention of accepting a settlement proposed by the Trump administration.

Recent comments by senior Russian officials indicate this posture. Yuri Ushakov, a senior aide to President Vladimir Putin, said Russia has made its position “very clear” and would raise strong objections to changes proposed by Ukraine and European partners. Ushakov specifically ruled out accepting provisions related to territorial arrangements, including any discussion of a demilitarized buffer zone in the Donbas region.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, meanwhile, said Russia would be dissatisfied if Ukraine were to reject a peace agreement, despite Moscow itself not having agreed to any current proposals. He argued that any settlement would require guarantees not only of security but also mechanisms to ensure compliance—language ISW interprets as an attempt to retain leverage over future negotiations.

Peskov also dismissed Europe’s role in the peace process, accusing European governments of seeking to prolong the war and pursuing their own interests. He suggested that Moscow is more focused on direct engagement with Washington than on European positions, reinforcing the Kremlin’s preference for negotiating Ukraine’s future without broad international consensus.

Similar signals were sent earlier by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who rejected several core elements of the U.S. peace framework, including proposals to base territorial arrangements on the current line of contact and to provide firm security guarantees for Ukraine.

ISW concludes that these statements collectively demonstrate that Russia is not approaching negotiations in good faith and continues to seek an outcome dictated on its own terms, rather than a mutually acceptable settlement.

Poland is sending an additional 6-8 MiG-29 jets to Ukraine

Poland may transfer between six and eight MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine after they are retired from Polish service later this month, Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said on December 14.

Tomczyk said the Soviet-designed aircraft, which are scheduled for decommissioning by the end of December, could be sent to Ukraine rather than scrapped or placed in storage. Under Polish law, the jets cannot remain in service once retired.

The comments follow earlier remarks by Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, who suggested that Warsaw could hand over its remaining MiG-29s in exchange for Ukrainian drone and counter-drone technologies. He said the proposal could be discussed during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s planned visit to Poland on December 19.

Poland’s General Staff confirmed on Dec. 10 that talks with Ukraine on the potential transfer are ongoing, though President Karol Nawrocki said a day later that he had not been briefed on the discussions.

Poland previously delivered 14 MiG-29 jets to Ukraine in spring 2023, becoming the first country to supply Kyiv with combat aircraft after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Ukraine later received additional MiG-29s from Slovakia, followed by F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and Denmark in 2024.

Poland remains one of Ukraine’s strongest allies, providing extensive military assistance and serving as a major logistical hub for Western defense support.

Only 9% of Ukrainians would support elections before ceasefire - survey

More than half of Ukrainians believe national elections should be held only after a final peace agreement and the complete end of the war, according to a survey published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).

The poll, conducted between November 26 and December 13, found that just 9% of respondents support holding elections immediately, down from 11% in September.

Another 25% said elections could be held after a ceasefire and the provision of security guarantees, a slight increase from 22% three months earlier. At the same time, 57% of respondents insisted that elections should take place only after the war has fully ended, though this figure has declined from 63% in September.

Anton Hrushetskyi, KIIS’s executive director, said the results show there is no broad public demand for elections while active hostilities continue.

He added that public trust in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains high and that most Ukrainians continue to view him as a legitimate head of state. According to Hrushetskyi, calls for elections during wartime are widely perceived as an attempt to weaken the country rather than a genuine democratic concern.

Ukraine has no power plant left undamaged - Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that every power plant in Ukraine’s energy system has been damaged by Russian attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Speaking at the German-Ukrainian Business Forum, Zelenskyy said that none of Ukraine’s power plants has remained untouched by Russian strikes.

“In fact, there isn't a single power plant in Ukraine still alive and kicking that hasn't been affected by Russian strikes. But we're fighting, rebuilding, working, restoring electricity to people and bringing life back,” he said.

Zelensky acknowledged that the pressure on Ukraine’s energy sector remains extremely heavy but stressed that repair crews are working to restore electricity as quickly as possible after each attack.

He also noted that German companies are playing a significant role in helping Ukraine repair and stabilize its energy infrastructure.