Negotiations on Donbass in Berlin ended without results
On December 15, 2023, the next round of negotiations on the situation around Ukraine was held in Berlin, the capital of Germany. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The delegations of the United States and Ukraine participated in these meetings. During the negotiations, serious disagreements between the parties became clearly visible.
In particular, the United States is demanding certain political concessions from Ukraine in the Donbass region in order to achieve peace with Russia. According to sources, the US side has put on the agenda the full transfer of Donbass under Moscow's control as a condition for ending the conflict with Russia.
At the same time, Ukrainian officials firmly refuse to hand over the parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions under their control. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that he does not have the authority to make a unilateral decision on this issue, and such a decision can only be resolved through a national referendum.
According to recent poll results, the majority of Ukrainians are against handing over Donbass to Russia. During the negotiations, Zelensky held meetings with US representatives.
He also conducted talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. After the meeting, Zelensky openly stated at a press conference that the US position on Donbass does not align with Ukraine's interests.
According to him, the US is advancing Russia's demands more. During the meetings in Berlin, the Ukrainian leader was also scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of France.
These dialogues are of great importance for strengthening the support of European countries for Ukraine. These negotiations showed that the Donbass issue remains complex and is expected to continue to be one of the main topics on the international political agenda in the near future.
The path to peace may still be long and difficult.
