Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Berlin for an unannounced visit and was received by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) at the Chancellery around midday, Tagesspiegel reports. The trip comes shortly before fresh negotiations between Russia and Ukraine aimed at ending the war. The visit was not disclosed in advance for security reasons, according to the outlet.
Writing on X, Zelensky said he intends to discuss Ukrainian air defence and assistance for the country's battered energy supply with Merz, Tagesspiegel reports.
Why it matters
The meeting places Germany at the centre of a delicate diplomatic stretch. Kyiv is heading into US-mediated talks with Moscow while pressing allies for more air-defence ammunition and help repairing power infrastructure that has come under repeated attack. Berlin's willingness to keep supplying support, and the shape of Europe's role in any negotiations, are among the questions hanging over the visit.
Merz reveals the visit at a business event
Merz disclosed the arrival himself earlier in the day while speaking at an event hosted by the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce, telling the audience that Zelensky would be with him again at midday, Tagesspiegel reports. Zelensky was also expected to address a security conference in the German capital later in the day.
Beyond the current situation created by Russia's war of aggression, the chancellor and the Ukrainian president were expected to cover possible forms of aid to Ukraine and preparations for another summit of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing," according to the outlet. Merz has said that gathering will take place in Berlin before the end of the year.
The coalition currently brings together 35 states and organisations that back Ukraine. As the war has dragged on, the question of how many of them are still prepared to contribute to the costs borne by the attacked country has become more pressing, Tagesspiegel notes.
Military coordination is already moving forward. Starting Monday, roughly 2,800 soldiers from eleven countries will take part in the coalition's first military exercise in Poland in support of Ukraine, the outlet reports.
Talks in Abu Dhabi and a warning on US election day
Preparations are meanwhile under way for three-way talks involving Ukraine and Russia, with the United States acting as mediator, in the United Arab Emirates. US special envoy Steve Witkoff has said the discussions are due to begin as early as next week in Abu Dhabi, according to Tagesspiegel. From the European side, the central question is how much influence European governments can exert there and in what form they will be included in the negotiations.
The Berlin visit coincides with the midterm elections in the United States on 3 November. Shortly before his arrival, Zelensky warned that Russia is planning a large-scale attack on his country, including on its energy infrastructure, based on intelligence findings. He wrote on X that the world's attention would be fixed on the US vote, "and what happens in Ukraine, including our difficulties with air defence and with Patriot missiles, will not be noticed."
Patriot systems are regarded as particularly effective at intercepting ballistic missiles, but Ukraine's air defences no longer have enough ammunition, Tagesspiegel reports. In recent weeks, the Russian military has used that shortfall to mount large-scale attacks on population centres in Ukraine.
The visit also drew criticism at home. WELT reports that Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the BSW, described the trip as "the next slap in the face for its own people," a remark carried in the outlet's coverage of the Merz-Zelensky meeting.
What to watch: whether Berlin commits to further Patriot deliveries or energy-repair funding, and whether European governments secure a seat at the Abu Dhabi table before those talks open.
