German media on December 16 focused on the ongoing Ukraine peace talks in Berlin, with early reports from FAZ and merkur.de suggesting an agreement was "closer than ever before." By mid-morning, attention shifted to a US alleged ultimatum for Ukraine regarding security guarantees, with Tagesspiegel and merkur.de reporting on potential NATO protection conditional on a quick agreement with Putin. Concurrently, discussions around a multinational force for Ukraine gained traction, though Russia vehemently rejected such proposals, as highlighted by Berliner Zeitung and Spiegel.
In the early afternoon, a significant development emerged with the EU Commission proposing to soften the combustion engine ban, allowing new petrol and diesel cars beyond 2035 under certain conditions. This shift, reported by FAZ, Spiegel, and Sueddeutsche, drew criticism from environmental groups. Evening coverage continued to question the value of negotiations given Russia's rejections, while also reporting on the antisemitic terror attack in Sydney.