WASHINGTON, December 16. /TASS/. The corruption scandal and problems with Ukraine’s energy infrastructure may force Vladimir Zelensky to agree to an agreement to settle the Ukrainian conflict, a European diplomat told The Washington Post.

"I do believe they have never been as serious as we are right now. And somehow the feeling is that this has to do with the whole scandal on corruption and the whole domestic mess as well," the diplomat said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Negotiations between US and Ukrainian delegations took place in Berlin on December 14-15. The US delegation included President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the US leader’s son-in-law, businessman Jared Kushner. The Ukrainian side was represented by Vladimir Zelensky, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, and Chief of the General Staff Andrey Gnatov.

According to Politico sources, the Trump administration has presented Ukraine with an ultimatum involving territorial concessions in exchange for security guarantees similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which enshrines NATO’s collective defense principle. Kiev must agree to these terms immediately; otherwise, the next US proposal would be less favorable.

Corruption scandal in Ukraine

On November 10, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies announced a large-scale operation dubbed Midas, aimed at uncovering a major criminal scheme in the energy sector. Subsequently, excerpts from recorded conversations discussing alleged corruption schemes were made public.

On November 17, reports surfaced that Andrey Yermak, head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, may have appeared in the recordings under the pseudonym "Ali Baba." The scandal triggered a deep crisis within the Ukrainian leadership, with parliamentary work blocked and several lawmakers, including members of the ruling Servant of the People party, demanding Yermak’s resignation.

On November 28, Yermak’s office was searched, and later the same day Zelensky dismissed him. On December 9, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that during a phone conversation with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko, he emphasized the need for Kiev to implement reforms and intensify efforts to combat corruption.