German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Berlin for discussions on Tuesday. This visit comes as Kyiv seeks additional missile supplies to defend against Russian ballistic strikes and calls for an extra €70 billion (£61 billion) in funding for next year from European governments.
Merz shared his expectation to meet Zelenskyy around midday during his speech at Berlin’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The meeting was kept confidential for security reasons.
Military and financial support will be key topics at the talks. Ukraine requires more missiles for systems like the US-made Patriot, and while Germany has supplied these systems, it has stated it cannot offer more without compromising its own air defences.
Zelenskyy previously outlined Ukraine’s funding needs at an EU summit in October, with future EU meetings expected to address how to secure the required funding.
Later this month, Berlin will host a summit for countries supporting Ukraine to discuss additional aid as winter approaches.
In a related development, just before Zelenskyy’s visit, US special envoy Steve Witkoff announced that advisers from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States will meet in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11 to discuss postwar security and humanitarian assistance. US representatives are set to meet with European and NATO officials this week in Brussels to discuss security guarantees and reconstruction plans, with European representatives likely attending the Abu Dhabi talks, although they may not participate directly in negotiations.
