Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Germany today for talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has promised strong support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia. Zelensky's visit will focus on “German support for Ukraine and efforts to achieve a truce” with Russia to end more than three years of war, spokesman Stefan Cornelius said. During the talks in Berlin, which will begin at 12:00 local time, Zelensky and Merz are also expected to discuss EU efforts to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow amid the lack of progress towards a ceasefire and possible peace talks. After a joint press conference with Merz, Zelensky will meet with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who will welcome him with military honors at Bellevue Palace. The visit to Berlin comes days after Russia launched some of its heaviest missile and drone attacks against Ukraine since the start of the conflict, and US President Donald Trump expressed his growing dissatisfaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Conservative Merz, who took office on May 6, promised to continue to strongly support Ukraine in cooperation with Paris, London, and Warsaw. He also called for an increase in German defense spending to create “the strongest conventional army in Europe.” Taking over from centrist leader Olaf Scholz, he changed the tone in Berlin and sharply criticized Putin, who, according to Merz, “clearly perceives proposals for negotiations as a sign of weakness.” Speaking last week in Lithuania, where Germany is building a tank brigade to guard NATO's eastern flank, Merz said that “Russia is a threat to all of us.” | BGNES