The ceasefire depends on Russia

The development of peace initiatives stubbornly falls on the shoulders of the Russian side. Europe, the United States and Ukraine have joined forces, creating a series of proposals that are relentlessly being passed on to the Kremlin. “Now the ball is in their court,” Merz sharply remarked when asked about the possibility of reaching an agreement quickly.

At the moment, no one knows whether the Russians are ready to stop the senseless shelling for even a moment before Christmas, or whether they will continue their maneuvers, stalling for time. “We will fight to appeal to the Russian authorities with a demand to cease fire at least for the holidays,” the Chancellor said.

He does not hide: the last months of the war that Russia has imposed on Ukraine are tearing innocent lives to pieces. The strikes on kindergartens and schools are nothing more than terrorizing peaceful, unmovable citizens. Merz believes that there may still be a drop of humanity left in the Kremlin, and they could consider this by suspending fire for at least a few days during Christmas.

“Perhaps this will be the start of honest negotiations that will finally lead to peace in Ukraine,” he concluded.

The Financial Times previously reported that the US president's special representatives, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, hinted during a conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskyy that they were expecting a response to US peace initiatives. The real challenge is that President Trump aims to achieve peace by Christmas.

On December 14-15, the dialogue between Zelensky and the Americans Witkoff and Kushner continues in Berlin. According to The Wall Street Journal, the American side did not show any willingness to compromise, demanded to conclude a peace agreement as soon as possible, chaotically trying to conclude it by the end of the year. The tension in the negotiations was felt in every word.

The key issue was territorial. According to AFP, the US pressured Ukraine to abandon Donbas and withdraw its military forces from the Donetsk region. But Zelensky managed to make it clear: no territorial concessions, only a genuine ceasefire.

Was there no chance left? An unnamed American official said that about 90% issues were supposedly agreed upon by the current parties. Trump, he said, was impressed with the progress of the negotiations. After the conversation on December 15, he plans to make phone calls to Zelensky and European leaders.

Negotiations between Ukrainian and US diplomats in Berlin are continuing, albeit without the participation of the president. The real fight for principles, for our lives, is ongoing.