Two days of talks between President Volodymyr Zelensky and allies have brought some progress on security guarantees, but Russia remains opposed to any foreign forces in Ukraine.

Kyiv will not accept any peace agreement to end Russia’s full-scale invasion that puts Ukraine's Donbas region under Moscow’s control, Volodymyr Zelensky has said. The Ukrainian president made the comments after Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov had said that Kyiv and Washington had made "real progress" during two-day talks in Berlin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Kyiv and Washington continue to hold different positions on the issue of ceding Ukrainian territory, underscoring persistent divisions even as diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia intensify.

Ukraine and the US have reached advanced talks on a potential peace plan to end the war with Russia, with Nato-style security guarantees proposed. President Zelensky continues to reject territorial concessions as tensions over Donbas persist.

"Neither de jure nor de facto will we recognize Donbas as Russian," Zelensky told reporters on Dec. 15 following the second round of talks in Germany.

Zelensky visits Berlin for strategic negotiations with US and European leaders on the peace process in Ukraine.

BERLIN — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday voiced readiness to drop his country’s bid to join NATO in exchange for Western security guarantees, but rejected the U.S. push for ceding territory to Russia as he held talks with U.S. envoys on ending the war.

US officials are headed to Berlin for a high-stakes sit-down Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders – as Washington presses for an elusive peace deal to end the