The talks, which lasted two days, included, among others: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and envoys of US President Donald Trump – Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
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The host of the meeting was German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who assessed that for the first time since the beginning of the conflict there were real chances for a truce.
The Economist notes that US representatives, including Witkoff and Kushner, seem to believe that the Kremlin will accept peace guarantees for Ukraine, and trade agreements with Russia will be an additional element of stabilization. One of the American negotiators was to emphasize that “there is no such thing as permanent allies or permanent enemies.” The weekly notes that such a position may raise suspicions about the Trump administration's intentions towards Russia and its European allies.
The Economist is also critical of the statements of the leaders in Berlin, considering them too optimistic. According to the weekly, security guarantees for Ukraine depend on the involvement of European forces, which are currently limited, and on the will of the United States, the durability of which is questionable. The magazine indicates that US promises regarding support for Ukraine in line with Art. 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty may lose importance in the face of Washington's ambiguous attitude towards NATO.
Read also: German media: if Ukraine falls, the road to Poland will be open
The weekly reminds that the decision on further actions now lies with Russia. Some experts believe that Vladimir Putin may agree to territorial concessions if he believes that they will weaken Ukraine and divide the US-NATO alliance. However, former US ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder, quoted by the Economist, claims that there is no chance that Putin will accept security guarantees for Ukraine or NATO's presence in this country.
Daalder believes that the actions of the American delegation are aimed more at meeting President Trump's expectations than at reaching a real agreement.
