BERLIN, Nov 3 (Reuters) – Volodymyr Zelenskiy will visit Berlin on Tuesday for talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who made clear he intends to show his support for the Ukrainian leader a week before US-brokered Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations resume.
Announcing the visit, Merz said it would be different from a trip the Ukrainian president made to the White House last year, an apparent reference to a dressing-down Zelenskiy received from President Donald Trump in the Oval Office in February 2025.
“He’ll be here with me just after midday, and things will be a bit different then,” Merz said at a business conference in Berlin..
Zelenskiy’s trips abroad are typically kept secret until the last minute for security reasons.
European leaders have backed Zelenskiy as he has clashed with Washington in recent weeks over decisions by Trump to buy Russian diesel, suspend some sanctions and call on Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries. Trump has called for Zelenskiy to be replaced and said Russia’s actions were “fine”.
Germany has become Ukraine’s largest supporter in its war with Russia since Trump returned to office last year and withdrew US financial support. Washington still provides intelligence to Ukraine and allows other countries to buy US weapons on Kyiv’s behalf.
A senior US official told Reuters on Monday that the US will bring together delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10 to 11 to discuss moves toward ending the war, post-war security agreements and de-escalation.
US negotiators have been seeking a breakthrough before winter in the long-running conflict. The last US-mediated peace talks took place in February before the US and Israel launched a war against Iran.
Under Merz, Germany has pledged to maintain backing for Kyiv and strengthen European security cooperation.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, Writing by Friederike Heine, Editing by Linda Pasquini)
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