Zelenskyy goes to see Merz in Berlin
updated
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Berlin on May 28. Chancellor Friedrich Merz will receive the Ukrainian leader with military honors in the Chancellery, the German government announced.
The visit will be dedicated to Germany's support for Ukraine and efforts to achieve a ceasefire.
The talks will be followed by a joint lunch, and a joint press conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. (2:00 p.m. Kyiv time). After that, both sides will meet with representatives of German companies.
In the afternoon, Zelensky will meet with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Their talks will take place at Bellevue Palace.
It was previously reported that Merz allegedly plans to discuss with the Ukrainian president possible steps towards further technical talks between Ukraine and Russia. He may also inform him about the plans for a new package of EU sanctions against Russia in order to increase pressure on the negotiation process.
In addition, with the "spontaneous planned visit," Merz and Zelensky want to support the momentum of Europe's efforts to hold talks between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. It is also not ruled out that representatives of the two countries may discuss further military assistance to Ukraine during a personal meeting.
- On May 26, Merz said that there were no longer any restrictions on the range of weapons that had been delivered to Ukraine. This was a joint opinion of Germany, France, and Britain.
- On the same day, German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil stated that his country was not changing restrictions on Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russia, refuting the Prime Minister's words.
- On May 27, Merz explained his statement about lifting the limit on the long-range weapons transferred to Ukraine. He emphasized that this was a decision that had already been made "some time ago."
