Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday for talks with European and US leaders ahead of a Trump-Putin summit later this week, the German government said.
Merz has convened a series of virtual meetings for Wednesday in an attempt to have the voice of European and Ukraine’s leaders heard ahead of the summit in Alaska, where US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to discuss a path toward ending Moscow’s war in Ukraine, reports AP.
Zelenskyy and the leaders of European countries have all been sidelined from that summit.
Zelenskyy is due to meet with European leaders first, in preparation for a virtual call with Trump and Vice President JD Vance about an hour later. A call between leaders of countries involved in the “coalition of the willing” — those who are prepared to help police any future peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv — will take place last.
On Wednesday, Merz pledged to help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems that would be free of any Western-imposed limitations on their use and targets as the Kyiv government fights to repel Russia’s invasion.
Zelenskyy last visited Berlin in late May.
The Ukrainian leader on Wednesday said his government has had over 30 conversations and consultations with partners ahead of the summit in Alaska, but reiterated his doubt that Putin would negotiate in good faith to end the war.
Writing on his official Telegram channel, Zelenskyy said there was “currently no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war,” and urged Ukraine’s partners in the United States and Europe to coordinate efforts and “force Russia to peace.”
“Pressure must be applied on Russia for an honest peace. We must take the experience of Ukraine and our partners to prevent deception by Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
He said diplomatic discussions led by the US focusing on ending the war have not addressed key Ukrainian demands, including security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression and including Europe in negotiations.
Three weeks after Trump returned to office, his administration took the leverage of Ukraine’s NATO membership off the table — something that Putin has demanded — and signaled that the EU and Ukraine must handle security in Europe now while America focuses its attention elsewhere.
Senior EU officials believe that Trump may be satisfied with simply securing a ceasefire in Ukraine, and is probably more interested in broader US geostrategic interests and great power politics, aiming to ramp up business with Russia and rehabilitate Putin.