Zelenskyy to Meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin Amid Diplomatic Efforts to End the War

Today Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to arrive in Berlin on Wednesday for high-level talks with Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The meeting underscores Germany’s vital role in supporting Ukraine and advancing diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict.

The Gaze reports on this with reference to Reuters.

Chancellor Merz will officially welcome President Zelenskiy at the federal chancellery with full military honors at noon local time, according to a spokesperson from the German government. The discussions will focus on Germany’s continued military and financial assistance to Ukraine, as well as coordinated strategies to bring about a cessation of hostilities.

With signs of wavering U.S. political support for Ukraine in recent months, Germany’s position as one of Ukraine’s most significant backers has grown increasingly prominent. Chancellor Merz, who assumed office earlier this month, has signaled a more proactive and assertive approach toward backing Ukraine compared to his Social Democrat predecessor, Olaf Scholz.

Shortly after taking office, Merz visited Kyiv alongside other European leaders, expressing unequivocal support for Ukraine’s right to conduct long-range missile strikes on Russian territory – a stance that marks a notable shift from Scholz’s more cautious rhetoric.

However, Merz also tempered expectations about a near-term resolution to the war, emphasizing on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin currently lacks any genuine interest in peace negotiations. “This means Ukraine must persist in defending itself, and we must intensify our support to enable that defense,” he stated.

The Chancellor further noted that the war transcends Ukraine’s borders, representing a fundamental challenge to the post-Cold War European security order established with Russia since 1990.

While no new arms deliveries are expected to be announced during Zelenskyy’s visit, Germany has adopted a policy of “strategic ambiguity,” refraining from publicly detailing its military aid to Ukraine.

As The Gaze reported earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz named the key tasks for Western allies in supporting Ukraine, which, in his opinion, are important at this time.