(AFP) – US President Donald Trump’s special envoy will meet with Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders in Berlin this weekend, the White House said, as Washington presses for a plan to end Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Ahead of the meetings, Zelensky warned on Saturday that Russia “still aims to destroy” Ukraine, as Kyiv said “massive” Russian strikes on energy facilities overnight had left thousands without power across the country. Russia said it had hit Ukrainian facilities with hypersonic ballistic missiles, in what it called retaliation for Ukrainian attacks.
“It is important that everyone now sees what Russia is doing — every step they take in terror against our people… for this is clearly not about ending the war,” the Ukrainian president said on X. “They still aim to destroy our state and inflict maximum pain on our people.” An 80-year-old woman was killed when a Russian shell hit a residential building in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, said the regional governor. Strikes in the Black Sea port city of Odesa left some neighbourhoods without power.
– US pressure – Trump has been stepping up pressure on Kyiv to reach an agreement since revealing a plan to end the war last month that was criticised as echoing Moscow’s demands, including Ukraine ceding crucial territory. The 28-point proposal has triggered a flurry of diplomacy between the United States and Ukraine’s European allies, with Kyiv officials recently saying they had sent Washington a revised version. Full details on the updated plan have not been released.
A White House official confirmed to AFP on Friday that Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff would meet with Zelensky and European leaders over the weekend to discuss the status of peace negotiations. In his evening address late on Saturday, the Ukrainian leader confirmed that his team “are currently preparing for meetings with the American side and our European friends in the coming days.” “Most importantly, I will have meetings with representatives of President Trump, as well as meetings with our European partners and many leaders on the foundation of peace — a political agreement to end the war,” Zelensky added.
– EU membership – Germany’s government has said Berlin will host the leaders, including the heads of the European Union and NATO, next Monday in the hours after Zelensky attends a German-Ukrainian business forum with Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The idea of a speedy accession by Ukraine into the European Union — a move opposed by Moscow — is included in the latest version of the US-led plan. Europeans and Ukrainians are also asking the United States to provide them with “security guarantees” before Ukraine negotiates any territorial concessions, France said Friday.
Under the latest US plan, Ukraine would join the EU as early as January 2027, a senior official familiar with the matter told AFP on Friday on condition of anonymity. The complicated EU accession process usually takes years and requires a unanimous vote from all 27 members of the bloc. Some countries, notably Hungary, have consistently voiced opposition to Ukraine joining. Kyiv has long striven for EU membership, but has struggled to eradicate endemic corruption — a core prerequisite for joining the bloc.
– ‘Long process’ – Moscow indicated Friday it was suspicious of efforts to amend the US plan, for which it has signalled support. “We have an impression that this version… will be worsened,” Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told the Kommersant business daily. “It’ll be a long process,” he added. Zelensky said Thursday Washington wanted only Ukraine, not Russia, to withdraw its troops from parts of the eastern Donetsk region, where a demilitarised “free economic zone” would be installed as a buffer between the two armies.
Russia, which has more manpower and weapons, has been grinding forward on the battlefield for months. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a key regional power-broker, said Saturday that “peace is not far away” — but called for a halt to strikes in the Black Sea, which have rattled the key shipping route in recent weeks. “The Black Sea should not be seen as an area of confrontation,” Erdogan said, according to Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu. “This would not benefit Russia or Ukraine. Everyone needs safe navigation in the Black Sea,” he added.
Ukraine on Saturday accused Russia of striking a Turkish vessel transporting sunflower oil in the Black Sea, a day after a Russian attack triggered a fire on a Turkish-owned ship at a Ukrainian port. Friday’s attack came hours after Erdogan met Putin on the sidelines of a summit in Turkmenistan, where the Turkish leader called for a “limited ceasefire” covering attacks on ports and energy facilities, according to his office.
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