Twelve European leaders committed to "strongly support Ukraine's accession to the European Union" in a joint statement released 15 December following emergency talks in Berlin, while pledging to deploy a multinational military force inside Ukraine and use €210 billion in frozen Russian assets for reconstruction.

The statement represents the most concrete European security package for Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion. It comes as EU leaders prepare for a summit on 18-19 December to decide on converting frozen Russian central bank assets into loans for Kyiv—a mechanism the statement explicitly referenced by noting that "Russian sovereign assets in the European Union have been immobilized."

Key commitments from the Berlin statement:

• Strong support for Ukraine's EU membership
• European-led multinational force operating inside Ukraine
• US-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism
• 800,000-strong Ukrainian military maintained post-war
• Legally binding defense commitments against future attacks
• Frozen Russian assets tied to war reparations

Which European leaders signed the Berlin statement?

The statement carries signatures from:

European Council President António Costa

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Germany)

President Emmanuel Macron (France)

President Alexander Stubb (Finland)

Prime Minister Keir Starmer (UK)

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (Italy)

Prime Minister Donald Tusk (Poland)

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (Sweden)

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (Denmark)

Prime Minister Dick Schoof (Netherlands)

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Norway)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

The statement remains "open for other countries to join"—acknowledging that not all 27 EU members signed. Hungary's Viktor Orbán and Slovakia's Robert Fico, both of whom have threatened to veto EU support for Ukraine, were absent from the list.

European troops to deploy inside Ukraine

The statement's most significant military commitment: a "European-led 'multinational force Ukraine' made up from contributions from willing nations within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing and supported by the US."

This force would operate inside Ukrainian territory with a broad mandate to "assist in the regeneration of Ukraine's forces, in securing Ukraine's skies, and in supporting safer seas."

The explicit mention of air and naval security suggests European personnel could help operate or support air defense systems and Black Sea operations—roles marking a substantial escalation of Western military involvement in Ukraine.

Leaders also committed to maintaining Ukraine's armed forces at "a peacetime level of 800,000 to be able to deter conflict and defend Ukraine's territory," which would make the Ukrainian military one of Europe's largest standing forces.

US-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism explained

Washington would lead the mechanism ensuring any peace deal holds. The statement outlined "a US led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism with international participation to provide early warning of any future attack and attribute and respond to any breaches."

The arrangement includes "a deconfliction mechanism to work on mutual deescalatory actions that can be taken to benefit all parties"—language suggesting direct US-Russia communication channels to prevent incidents from escalating.

What happens if Russia violates a ceasefire:

• Legally binding commitment to respond
• Measures "may include armed force"
• Intelligence and logistical assistance
• Economic and diplomatic actions

Frozen Russian assets and Ukraine reparations

The Berlin statement directly tied Russia's €210 billion in frozen assets to future compensation, declaring that leaders would "invest in the future prosperity of Ukraine, including making major resources available for recovery and reconstruction... taking into account the need for Russia to compensate Ukraine for the damage caused."

The EU permanently froze Russian central bank assets last week, eliminating the six-month renewal cycle that had left funds vulnerable to Hungarian vetoes. The 18-19 December summit will determine whether those assets can back a reparations loan that Ukraine would only repay if Moscow compensates Kyiv for war damages.

Ukraine EU membership path confirmed

Leaders pledged to "strongly support Ukraine's accession to the European Union"—the clearest endorsement since Hungary began blocking formal accession negotiations in early 2025.

The statement emphasized that "decisions on territory are for the people of Ukraine, once robust security guarantees are effectively in place," and that leaders would "support President Zelenskyy to consult his people if needed."

What Europe demands from Russia

The statement called on Moscow "to show willingness to work towards a lasting peace by agreeing to President Trump's peace plan and to demonstrate their commitment to end the fighting by agreeing to a ceasefire."

Leaders welcomed "significant progress on President Trump's efforts to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine" and committed to "continue to increase pressure on Russia to bring Moscow to negotiate in earnest."

They were clear: "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."

During an online press conference on 14 December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed questions about ongoing US-led indirect peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. According to Euromaidan Press, he responded to US President Donald Trump's recent claim that Zelenskyy alone dislikes the peace plan, while his team allegedly loves it.

"The plan won't be one that pleases everyone," Zelenskyy said. "There are definitely many compromises in one format of the plan or another."

Berlin summit to discuss 20-point framework with ceasefire provisions

Zelenskyy spoke ahead of meetings with US and European officials in Berlin on 14-15 December. Asked whether the summit could change the situation, he replied:

"Definitely. Because we will be considering the 20-point framework plan, at the end of which there is talk of ceasefire. A ceasefire will definitely change the security situation on the ground."

He planned separate meetings with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders.

Ukraine's red line: no third Russian aggression

Zelenskyy emphasized that any agreement must serve Ukraine's interests and prevent future attacks.

"The most important thing is that the plan be as fair as possible, primarily for Ukraine, because Russia started the war," he said. "And the main thing is that it be effective, that the plan could truly be not just a piece of paper, but an important step toward ending the war."

The Ukrainian President stressed one non-negotiable requirement:

"After signing it, Russia must have no opportunity to start another, third aggression against the Ukrainian people."

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NATO rejection forced Ukraine into bilateral deals

Zelenskyy explained how Ukraine's security strategy evolved after Western partners blocked its preferred path to obtain security guarantees from its allies.

"Ukraine's conditions from the very beginning — or maybe not conditions, correctly said, the desire — was NATO membership. And these were real security guarantees," he said. "Some partners from the United States of America and Europe did not support this direction."

Ukraine now seeks "Article 5-like" bilateral guarantees from the US, mirroring NATO's mutual defense clause.

"And this is already a compromise on our part," Zelenskyy noted, insisting that these arrangements must be "legally binding guarantees, not a Budapest Memorandum," and approved by US Congress.

Citing an unnamed US official, Axios said that Washington is "willing" to grant Ukraine a legally binding, congressionally approved security guarantee based on NATO’s Article 5.

Russia rejects "stand where we stand" ceasefire

The Ukrainian President says Ukraine's ceasefire position is straightforward:

"I believe that today a fair possible option should be: we stand where we stand," Zelenskyy said. "And this is true, because this is what a ceasefire is — the sides stand, and then diplomatically try to resolve all general issues."

Russia rejected this approach. "Russians respond that we must leave the Donbas or they will occupy it anyway," Zelenskyy said.

According to the President, the US then proposed a "compromise": Russian forces would not enter part of eastern Ukraine if Ukrainian forces withdrew.

"I don't consider this fair," Zelenskyy responded, adding: "If Ukrainian troops withdraw 5-10 kilometers, for example, then why don't Russian troops withdraw the same distance deeper into occupied territories?"

He called this "a question that has no answer yet. But it's very sensitive and very hot."

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Russia seeks territorial gains without fighting for them

Zelenskyy accused Moscow of pursuing a strategy to avoid military costs.

"Russia wants to not expend forces and occupy our east through political means, diplomatic-political means," he said.

He cited Kupiansk as an example of Russian disinformation supporting this strategy.

"I was recently in Kupiansk and showed who controls this city," Zelenskyy said, adding that "There is a lot of such disinformation from the Russians," and saying to American negotiators: "Don't believe everything Russia says."

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Ukraine expands negotiating team after Kushner joins US side

The addition of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and representative, to the US team brought an economic component to the talks. According to Zelenskyy, negotiations now cover three tracks: the 20-point framework, Ukraine's economic reconstruction, and post-war security.

Ukraine responded by expanding its delegation to include the Prime Minister, Economy Minister, Chief of General Staff Andrii Hnatov, and intelligence representatives.

Kyiv awaits US response to latest plan modifications

Zelenskyy confirmed he sent updated comments to Washington but received no formal response yet. Military officials met in Stuttgart, and Hnatov was traveling with the negotiating group.

"I think today or tomorrow I'll receive details. There are no more details for now."

The US speaks for Russia because Ukraine has no direct Kremlin contact

Since Ukraine has no direct dialogue with Moscow, American negotiators "represent the Russian side, if you can say so, because they convey their signals, demands, steps of readiness or unreadiness," Zelenskyy explained. Ukraine discusses both bilateral US-Ukraine matters and reactions to Russian positions with Washington.

Zelenskyy expressed confidence that pressure could work:

"If America pushes, if partners push, and if America wants to end this war the way they're demonstrating today at the highest level, I believe Russia will have to make compromises."

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"Current times demand respect only for strength"

Zelenskyy offered a blunt assessment of the current geopolitical reality.

"Today we're talking not about fairness, but about strength," he said. "And unfortunately, this time demands respect only for strength, not for values."

He recalled how international law failed to stop Russia earlier.

"If we were talking about fairness and values, about respect for international law, Russians should have been condemned from the very beginning, more than 10 years ago, for the invasion of sovereign Ukrainian land. This didn't happen. It was only in words."

This reality shapes Ukraine's insistence on enforceable guarantees.

"Today we want non-repetition of war after a ceasefire. And therefore legally binding guarantees are mandatory," Zelenskyy noted.

What if peace talks fail?

"We cannot afford to think about this," Zelenskyy said.

He acknowledged the need for realism but refused to dwell on failure scenarios.

"It's like running a long distance, like a marathon. You have to pull yourself together, find another path, and again do everything so that this war ends."

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