Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is scheduled to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday, focusing on German support for Ukraine and efforts to achieve a ceasefire amid ongoing conflict.

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• Zelenskiy will be received with military honours at the federal chancellery by Chancellor Merz.
• Talks aim to strengthen Germany’s support for Ukraine and discuss ceasefire possibilities.
• Recent Ukraine-Russia negotiations under US pressure failed to produce a ceasefire.
• Russia launched major aerial attacks on Ukraine over the weekend after talks stalled.
• Germany, as Ukraine’s largest military and financial backer after the US, may take a more active leadership role.
• Merz has openly supported Ukraine’s right to launch long-range missile strikes into Russia, a shift from his predecessor’s cautious stance.
• Merz stated Russia shows no interest in ceasefire or peace currently; Ukraine must continue to defend itself.
• The conflict challenges the post-1990 political order established with Russia.
• Germany will likely maintain “strategic ambiguity” regarding future arms shipments to Ukraine.
• Russia accused Ukraine of escalating drone and missile attacks on Russian territory using Western-supplied weapons.