Zelenskyy expected in Berlin for talks with Merz ahead of Abu Dhabi discussions

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to travel to Berlin for talks with German chancellor Friedrich Merz, in an unexpected visit confirmed on Tuesday morning. The meeting is due to take place just after midday, according to Merz, who referred to the trip during an industry speech. The visit comes ahead of planned trilateral talks involving Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi next week.

Merz said the rumours about Zelenskyy's visit had begun circulating the previous night before he confirmed them publicly. He also noted that Zelenskyy's trips are usually kept secret until the last moment for security reasons. In his remarks, Merz linked Germany's recent push to increase defence spending to last year's meeting between Zelenskyy and Donald Trump at the White House.

He said the events in the Oval Office had led him to conclude that Europe must be able to defend itself more effectively. The German chancellor said the aim was not to weaken Nato but to reinforce it. He described the approach as making Nato more European so that it can remain transatlantic.

His comments place the Berlin meeting within a wider debate over European security and burden-sharing, which has intensified as leaders prepare for further diplomacy involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States. The timing also suggests Berlin is being used as a key stop before the next round of talks in Abu Dhabi. The visit is significant because it comes at a moment when European governments are trying to shape the terms of future negotiations over the war in Ukraine.

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Germany has been one of the central European actors in support of Kyiv, and Merz's comments show that defence policy and diplomacy are being discussed together. The reference to last year's White House confrontation also underlines how political tensions among allies continue to influence security planning in Europe. For Ukraine, the Berlin talks may help build support before the more complex discussions expected with Russia and the United States.

Zelenskyy's travel arrangements are often kept confidential until shortly before departure, reflecting the security risks surrounding his movements. That pattern makes the confirmation of the Berlin visit notable in itself, as it signals a deliberate and timely diplomatic engagement. Merz's public remarks also suggest that the German government wants to present itself as an active participant in shaping Europe's response to the conflict.

The broader backdrop is a continuing effort to align European defence policy with the demands of the war and the next phase of negotiations. What remains unclear is the exact agenda for the Berlin talks and whether any concrete outcomes will be announced after the meeting. It is also not yet clear how the discussions in Berlin will feed into the trilateral talks planned for Abu Dhabi.

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