Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make surprise visit to Berlin for talks with Friedrich Merz

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting Berlin on Tuesday for unannounced talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the visit, noting that he expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy around midday. The Guardian, DW, Reuters, inkl, and blue News all reported on the surprise meeting. DW reported that the trip was kept secret for security reasons. [1][2][4][6][7][8]

The talks come during a renewed push for peace negotiations with Moscow, according to DW. Kyiv is seeking more missiles to defend against Russian ballistic strikes. DW reported that Ukraine is also asking European governments for an extra 70 billion euros, or about 78 billion dollars, in funding for next year. Friedrich Merz stated that a German push to increase defence spending was triggered by a meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump last year, according to the Guardian. [1][2]

Friedrich Merz has served as Chancellor of Germany since May 2025. The diplomatic meeting follows earlier European security discussions, as FTMQ News reported earlier when British Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Berlin to ratify a bilateral security treaty focused on counteracting hybrid threats from Russia. [11][14]