Overview
- Zelensky indicated Ukraine could pause its NATO bid in exchange for legally binding, Article 5–style guarantees from the United States and European partners.
- Kyiv rejected proposals to withdraw from Donetsk and instead urged a cease-fire that freezes forces in place while territorial questions remain unresolved.
- The Ukrainian leader met U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Berlin on Sunday, with talks hosted by Chancellor Friedrich Merz and reconvening Monday alongside European, EU and NATO leaders.
- Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov reported “real advances,” though no final deal was announced, as Washington presses for a timely settlement and Europeans seek a common stance.
- As diplomacy continued, Russia carried out mass strikes on Ukraine’s energy network that cut power to over one million homes, with DTEK reporting 20 substations damaged in Odesa; Moscow claimed to down Ukrainian drones and reported casualties in Saratov.