'Much progress' in Ukraine peace talks

Kyiv [Ukraine], December 16: The US said that negotiations with Ukraine had made significant progress, amid Ukraine's abandonment of its NATO membership ambitions and Europe's efforts to strengthen support for Kyiv.
Following five hours of talks between US and Ukrainian delegations in Berlin, Germany, on December 14, the US government stated that "significant progress" had been made. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said the two sides had discussed in depth the 20-point peace plan , economic plan, and other issues. The talks were chaired by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and a source said the leader made a brief statement before leaving to allow the other side to continue their discussions. On December 15, according to AP, meetings between Ukraine, the US , and Europe continued, with Europe striving to increase support for Ukraine and strengthen peace and security on the continent.
Ukraine is undergoing major changes.
Prior to the negotiations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed abandoning his ambition to join NATO in exchange for security guarantees from the West. Observers believe this represents a significant shift for Kyiv, which had previously been determined to join the alliance to counter Russia and had enshrined this aspiration in its Constitution. Abandoning the desire to join NATO also fulfills one of Russia's conditions. "Bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the United States, guarantees like Article 5 (of the NATO Treaty) that the US provides us, security guarantees from Europe as well as Canada and Japan, are an opportunity to prevent Russia from sending troops again," Zelensky stated, adding that these security guarantees need to be legally binding.
Responding to the information, the Kremlin stated that Ukraine's non-joining NATO is a key issue, but requires special discussion. Furthermore, Russia indicated it is awaiting updates from the US regarding proposals following discussions with Ukraine and European countries in Berlin.
European assessment
While presiding over negotiations in Berlin, Chancellor Merz stated that "decades of American-style peace have virtually vanished for Europe and Germany." American-style peace (Pax Americana) refers to the post-World War II world order, with the United States playing a dominant role. Merz warned that Russia's goal was to "fundamentally alter the lines in Europe and restore the former Soviet Union"-a goal that Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously rejected.
Besides the goal of Ukraine not joining NATO, Russia also wants to control the Donbass region and achieve other objectives in its military campaign. EU High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas stated that controlling Donbass is not Russia's ultimate goal, and expressed concern that Russia will seek to control all of Ukraine, meaning that "once Ukraine is gone, other regions will also be in danger." According to Kallas, the EU must make very important decisions regarding funding for Ukraine at the upcoming conference.
Russia has not immediately commented on the statement. TASS reported on December 15th that Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto accused EU leaders of attempting to disrupt negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and drag the whole of Europe into a conflict with Russia. Speaking before attending the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Belgium, Szijjarto said Hungary intended to "stay away from that."
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper