Zelensky visits Berlin as he seeks more support in war against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has met the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin as Ukraine seeks further military support amid a recent escalation in Russia’s bombing campaign.

Germany has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States.

Mr Merz has plunged into new diplomatic efforts to try to secure a ceasefire and keep Western support for Ukraine intact since becoming Germany’s leader three weeks ago.

European leaders have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in US-led peace talks.

Meanwhile, German foreign minister Johann Wadephul was set to meet in Washington with US secretary of state Marco Rubio later on Wednesday.

Mr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine is ready to hold peace talks at the highest level, including a trilateral meeting with himself, Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and American President Donald Trump.

“We are ready to meet at the level of leaders. Both the American side knows this, and the Russian side knows this,” he said.

Mr Zelensky said he would accept any configuration of talks, whether that includes one trilateral meeting or separate meetings with Mr Trump.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is grateful to Mr Trump for his mediation efforts.

“At the same time, there is a big number of nuances to be discussed that can’t be neglected and which neither party is going to sacrifice, because of its national interests,” Mr Peskov told reporters.

“Just like the United States, Russia has its national interests that are of primary importance to us.”

He said that Moscow will “soon” deliver its promised memorandum on a framework for a peace settlement.

On Monday, Mr Merz said Germany and other major allies are no longer imposing any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine as it fights to repel Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.

Mr Merz’s government has not said whether it will supply its Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, something his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, refused to do and which Merz advocated for as opposition leader.

The German government has said it would no longer provide full details of the weapons it is supplying to Ukraine, unlike Olaf Scholz’s administration, citing the need for “strategic ambiguity”.

Taurus missiles have a range of up to 310 miles. The German and Swedish-made missiles, which are equipped with stealth technology, would be able to reach targets deep in Russia from Ukrainian soil, including the Black Sea.

Ukraine wants the missiles to complement the long-range Storm Shadow missiles sent by Britain and France’s nearly identical Scalp cruise missiles.