Zelensky says will seek US support to freeze front line at Berlin talks / Photo: © AFP
Zelensky says will seek US support to freeze front line at Berlin talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he hoped the United States would back the idea of freezing the front line in Ukraine along its current shape at their meeting in Berlin.
Zelensky said he was ready for "dialogue" at the latest round of high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump's envoy and European leaders on ending the war with Russia.
"The fairest possible option is to 'stay where we are'. This is true because it is a ceasefire... I know that Russia does not view this positively, and I would like the Americans to support us on this issue," Zelensky told reporters shortly before arriving in Berlin.
Trump has been stepping up pressure on Kyiv to reach an agreement since revealing a plan to end the war last month that was criticised as echoing Moscow's demands, including that Ukraine cede crucial territory.
The proposal has triggered a flurry of diplomacy between the United States and Ukraine's European allies, with Kyiv officials recently saying they had sent Washington a revised version.
Zelensky said on Sunday he had not received a response from Washington on Ukraine's amendments, but added: "I am receiving all the signals and will be ready for the dialogue that will begin today."
"The summit in Berlin is important. We are meeting with both the Americans and the Europeans... And today these meetings are taking place in Berlin, today and tomorrow," Zelensky added.
A White House official confirmed to AFP on Friday that Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff would meet with Zelensky and European leaders over the weekend to discuss the status of peace negotiations.
"The most important thing is that the plan should be as fair as possible, first and foremost for Ukraine, because Russia started the war," Zelensky said on Sunday.
The latest push in the efforts to put an end to the war that has killed tens of thousands since Russia invaded in 2022 comes as Kyiv reported new aerial strikes.
According to its air force, Russia launched 138 drones and a ballistic missile overnight.
A Russian drone has hit "one of the hospitals in Kherson", the regional administration said on Telegram, wounding two people, including a nurse.
At least 11 people were wounded in the strikes on the Zaporizhzhia region, governor Ivan Fedorov said.
(A.Stefanowych--DTZ)
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