Posted originally on CTH on December 14, 2025 | Sundance

As with all information during high-stakes negotiations, particularly ones covered in geopolitics, trillions at stake and power dynamics on this scale, it is prudent to ignore most media reporting and focus on the public statements from the negotiators.

German Chancellor Fredrich Merz seated right next to Zelenskyy, highlighting the oppositional nature of the U.S. vs EU position during negotiations.

STEVE WITKOFF – Official Readout: “The meeting in Berlin between President Zelenskyy, Special Envoy Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and delegations from the United States and Ukraine lasted over five hours. Representatives held in-depth discussions regarding the 20-point plan for peace, economic agendas, and more. A lot of progress was made, and they will meet again tomorrow morning.”

Official Readouts are the statements that all parties agree to.  The “readout” is not a shaping statement giving insight into the deal itself, but rather a status statement of the discussions surrounding the deal.

Team Zelenskyy have been waging a public relations campaign to retain support from echo-chambered EU politicians.  The focus is continuation of funding, essentially money. Team Trump have been less public and approaching the negotiations with prudent pragmatism; less PR more substance; their focus is an end to the killing.  These are two distinctly different priority sets.

DW NEWS – Sunday’s discussions in Berlin between Ukrainianand US officials on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine have concluded for the night, with the talks set to continue on Monday.

In a message sent to reporters over WhatsApp, Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn, said the talks “went on for more than five hours and ended for today with an agreement to resume tomorrow morning.”

Lytvyn added Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would comment on the discussions on Monday once they were completed. (source)