European leaders propose Europe-led Ukraine peace force

Zelensky hails 'real progress' on security guarantees, but land issue a sticking point

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European leaders on Dec 15 proposed a European-led “multinational force” with US support to enforce a potential peace deal in Ukraine, as key powers met in Berlin to push forward efforts to end the war.

The force would be part of “robust security guarantees” for Ukraine from the United States and European powers aimed at guaranteeing that Russia would not violate an agreement to end the war, the leaders meeting in Berlin said in a joint statement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that talks in the German capital with US President Donald Trump’s envoys on ending the war were “not easy” but brought “real progress” on the question of security guarantees.

Mr Zelensky met for a second day with Mr Trump’s special envoy, Mr Steve Witkoff, and the President’s son-in-law, Mr Jared Kushner, for talks aimed at ending the war that started with Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion, building on a proposal initially put forward by Mr Trump.

He hailed new security guarantees offered by Washington but also said differences remained on the question of what territories Ukraine would have to cede to battlefield enemy Russia.