According to AP News, experts say that the diplomatic fuss over Ukraine will finally end on Friday, December 19, 2025, when a representative from the Kremlin is supposed to arrive with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner.
“That’s real progress.” It also shows how unfair this war is, since Ukraine can talk, Europe can pay, and the US can use Russia, and only Vladimir Putin can end it tomorrow if he wants to.
It also shows how unfair this war is, as only Putin can end it if he wants to. Ukraine can talk, Europe can pay, and America can use Russia to its advantage.
Because of this, it may be claimed that the most essential thing about Trump’s efforts is that they will not be judged by headlines but by the enforcement clause.
AP News says that talks in Berlin were about security guarantees for Kyiv and issues related to land. These are the two things that could decide if a ceasefire halt leads to a peaceful end or an attack.
It is hard for Ukraine to make a choice: either accept hard compromises and avoid becoming stuck in a worse situation, or keep fighting and watch prices go up and up.
The only way out is to have a guarantee that is clear enough to scare people away. You don’t have to write friendly text. There is no need for a guarantee. A “mechanism.”
Europe is getting ready to either go a long way or a short way. The Washington Post says that the Belgian government asked for protection against Russian attacks after the EU leaders gave them a huge loan. This shows how political the countries that own the locked-up Russian assets have become.
The idea of security being talked about has effects that go beyond the ceasefire line. The New York Times says that there was a proposed model that included a strong Ukrainian military, European troops in Ukraine who weren’t on the front lines, and more American intelligence coverage to find out what Russia was planning.
It’s possible that Trump’s reasons are real. But Putin still has the “stop” button in his palm, until it costs too much to push the “restart” button.
