Zelenskiy's Berlin Visit: Diplomatic Moves Amid Escalating Tensions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is slated to visit Berlin on Wednesday for discussions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as part of a diplomatic initiative to end the conflict in Ukraine, the German government announced. Zelenskiy will be formally received with military honors at the federal chancellery at noon (1000 GMT), the government spokesperson stated.

The core agenda of Zelenskiy's visit includes securing German support for Ukraine and exploring avenues to establish a ceasefire. This meeting follows recent Ukrainian and Russian face-to-face negotiations, which failed to broker a ceasefire, eliciting further aerial assaults from Russia on Ukraine over the weekend. Amidst signs of reduced backing from U.S. President Donald Trump, Germany could assume a pivotal role as Ukraine's main military and financial supporter after the U.S.

Since his recent assumption of office, Chancellor Merz has pledged a more proactive leadership stance on aiding Ukraine compared to his predecessor, Olaf Scholz. Merz recently endorsed Ukraine's right to conduct long-range missile strikes into Russian territory, diverging from Scholz's cautious approach. However, Merz tempered expectations for a swift end to hostilities, underscoring Russia's current disinterest in a ceasefire or peace deal, thereby underscoring the necessity for Ukraine to continue self-defense efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)