Kyiv’s Top Negotiator Hails ‘Real Progress’ During 2nd Day of Peace Talks in Berlin

‘We hope we will reach an agreement that will bring us closer to peace by the end of the day,’ negotiator Rustem Umerov said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, senior Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meet with U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, in Berlin, Germany, on Dec. 14, 2025. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters

Real progress was made with the U.S. delegation in Berlin during the second round of peace talks to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, Kyiv’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov said Dec. 15.

“Over the past two days, Ukrainian–US negotiations have been constructive and productive, with real progress achieved. We hope we will reach an agreement that will bring us closer to peace by the end of the day,” he said in a post on X.