Zelenskiy Heads to Berlin for Talks With Merz in a Show of Support Ahead of Ukraine Peace Negotiations

BERLIN — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will visit Berlin on Tuesday for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Merz announced on November 3, 2026, in a visit framed as a deliberate show of support for Kyiv a week before United States-brokered talks on the Ukraine war are due to resume. Merz revealed the trip while speaking at a business conference in Berlin, telling the audience that Zelenskiy would be with him "just after midday" — and, in a pointed contrast with the Ukrainian leader's troubled White House visit last year, that "things will be a bit different then," according to Reuters.

Illustration: The German Federal Chancellery in Berlin, where Chancellor Friedrich Merz is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday.

What Happened

Merz announced the visit on Tuesday, November 3, without giving a detailed public agenda in the initial Reuters report. What he did make clear, in both the announcement and its timing, was the political message: Berlin intends to stand visibly alongside Kyiv at a moment when Ukraine's relationship with Washington has been strained, and just days before a new round of US-led diplomacy on the war is scheduled to begin.

Visits by Zelenskiy to Germany are typically kept secret until shortly before they take place and are carried out under the highest security precautions, Reuters noted. That practice reflects the security risks of wartime travel by a head of state whose country has been at war since Russia's full-scale invasion escalated in February 2022. The short notice also means that the announcement itself — made a day before the meeting — is part of the signal: European capitals are choosing to publicize their backing for Zelenskiy rather than keep it quiet.

According to an updated Reuters report carried by syndication partners, Merz intends the Berlin meeting as a show of support ahead of the resumption of US-brokered Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations. A senior US official told Reuters on November 2 that the United States would bring together delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11 to discuss moves toward ending the war, post-war security agreements and de-escalation. The Berlin visit therefore lands in the final stretch of preparation for those talks, when Kyiv's allies are positioning themselves — and, in public, positioning Ukraine — for the negotiating table.

Background

The contrast Merz drew was unmistakable, even though he did not name the earlier episode directly. The updated Reuters report describes his remark as an apparent reference to a dressing-down Zelenskiy received from US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office in February 2025. That confrontation, broadcast around the world, became a symbol of a shift in Washington's approach to Ukraine after Trump returned to office — and of the strain it placed on Kyiv's most important relationship.

European leaders have backed Zelenskiy as he has clashed with Washington in recent weeks, Reuters reported, over decisions by Trump to buy Russian diesel, suspend some sanctions and call on Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries. Those disagreements go to the heart of Ukraine's war strategy: strikes on Russian energy infrastructure have been one of Kyiv's main tools for pressuring Moscow, while sanctions and energy purchases are central to how the West tries to limit Russia's war revenues. When Washington and Kyiv disagree publicly on those questions, European backing becomes more consequential — and more visible.

Germany's role in that backing has grown steadily. Reuters reported that Germany has become Ukraine's largest supporter in its war with Russia since Trump returned to office last year and withdrew US financial support. Under Merz, Germany has pledged to maintain its backing for Kyiv and to strengthen European security cooperation, according to the same report. The Berlin meeting is the latest expression of that commitment, and it follows a reciprocal visit in the other direction only a month earlier.

Illustration: A formal diplomatic handshake in Berlin, where Merz has said Zelenskiy's reception will be different from his White House visit last year.

The Kyiv Visit That Set the Stage

On October 4, 2026, Merz travelled to Kyiv on an unannounced visit and announced a new aid package for Ukraine worth more than 1.3 billion euros (about $1.5 billion), the Associated Press reported. About 1 billion euros of that package was military aid, including long-range strike weapons, combat drones and satellite technology, "so that Ukraine can also target Russian launch pads," Merz said at a news conference in Kyiv. A further 350 million euros was energy aid ahead of winter, for generators, substations and repair work.

Zelenskiy said at the same news conference that the two countries had also signed 15 agreements worth more than 8.5 billion euros, mostly covering security cooperation, weapons production and procurement, as well as a deal to expand their joint counter-drone efforts. Germany would fund the joint production of drones designed to intercept Russia's jet-powered drones, Merz said, adding that recent technical breakthroughs were speeding up production.

The scale of Germany's overall support puts the Berlin visit in context. Germany is Ukraine's largest donor, having sent Kyiv more than 43.3 billion euros since the war began, along with equipment and weapons, according to the Associated Press report. Separate reporting in October 2026 noted that Germany had donated 19 air defence systems to Ukraine, including five US-built Patriot batteries, and that its cumulative aid since 2022 was double that of Britain or France. For a country preparing for another winter of Russian attacks on its energy system, that support — and the air defences in particular — is not symbolic. It is part of how Ukraine keeps its cities running.

Merz's Kyiv trip also carried a political message at home and abroad. At the news conference, Zelenskiy called the visit amid Russian attacks "an important signal of support for Ukraine and of the courage of Germany and all of Europe." Merz, in turn, argued that supporting Ukraine was in Germany's own deep interest, because Russia's war machine would turn against Germany and its allies sooner or later if Moscow was not stopped. That argument — that aid to Kyiv is European self-defence, not charity — is one Berlin has repeated as it has taken a larger leadership role in European support for Ukraine.

Why It Matters

The Berlin visit matters for three reasons. First, it is a public vote of confidence in Zelenskiy personally, at a time when his standing with Washington has been under pressure. Diplomacy is often conducted through such signals: who is received, where, and with what warmth. By announcing the visit himself, at a business conference rather than through a quiet diplomatic note, and by drawing the contrast with the White House episode, Merz ensured the message would be heard well beyond Berlin.

Second, it matters for the negotiations ahead. Ukraine does not enter talks alone; it enters them backed — or not — by the allies whose weapons, money and political cover sustain its war effort. A visible Berlin meeting days before the Abu Dhabi talks tells Moscow, Washington and Kyiv's own public that Europe's largest economy remains committed, and it gives Zelenskiy a European platform from which to state his positions before sitting down in a US-mediated format. Whether that translates into leverage at the table will depend on what, if anything, is agreed in Berlin and then carried into the trilateral discussions.

Third, it matters for Europe's own security debate. Germany's emergence as Ukraine's largest supporter since the change in US policy has made Berlin the anchor of European backing for Kyiv. That role brings expectations: from Ukraine, for continued weapons and energy help through the winter; from European partners, for leadership in security cooperation; and from voters at home, for an explanation of why the commitment continues. Each high-profile visit is a moment when those expectations are tested in public.

Illustration: Military and energy aid for Ukraine ahead of winter, a central theme of German support since Merz's October visit to Kyiv.

What Happens Next

The immediate next step is the meeting itself on Tuesday, when Zelenskiy is due to be with Merz in Berlin just after midday. Statements, joint appearances and any new announcements from that meeting will show whether Berlin used the visit to unveil fresh support, to coordinate positions ahead of the Abu Dhabi talks, or simply to deliver the political signal Merz has already telegraphed.

Beyond Tuesday, attention turns to November 10 and 11, when the US is due to bring Ukrainian and Russian delegations together in Abu Dhabi. According to Reuters, those discussions are expected to cover moves toward ending the war, post-war security agreements and de-escalation. No outcome is guaranteed: previous rounds have shown how far apart Kyiv and Moscow remain on territory, security guarantees and the terms of any settlement, and the announcement of talks should not be mistaken for agreement.

For Ukraine, the winter ahead will test the substance behind the symbolism. Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, the pace of weapons deliveries, and the durability of Western sanctions will shape the war far more than any single meeting. But meetings like the one in Berlin are where the political will behind those practical questions is displayed — and, sometimes, renewed. On Tuesday, Merz has promised that the display will be unmistakable.

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FAQ

When is Zelenskiy visiting Berlin?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is due to visit Berlin on Tuesday, November 4, 2026, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on November 3. Merz said Zelenskiy would be with him "just after midday."

Why did Merz say things would be "different" in Berlin?

Merz's remark was widely read as a contrast with Zelenskiy's February 2025 White House visit, when he received a public dressing-down from US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, according to Reuters' updated report. Merz presented the Berlin reception as a show of support.

How much aid has Germany given Ukraine?

Germany has sent Ukraine more than 43.3 billion euros since the war began, making it Ukraine's largest donor, according to the Associated Press. A further package worth more than 1.3 billion euros was announced during Merz's Kyiv visit on October 4, 2026.

What is the connection to the Abu Dhabi talks?

The Berlin visit comes a week before US-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia are due to resume in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, 2026, where discussions are expected to cover ending the war, post-war security agreements and de-escalation, according to Reuters.

Why are Zelenskiy's foreign trips kept secret until the last minute?

Visits by the Ukrainian president abroad are typically kept secret until shortly before they occur and take place under the highest security precautions, Reuters noted, reflecting the security risks of wartime travel.

Sources

Reuters, "Ukraine's Zelenskiy to visit Berlin on Tuesday, Germany's Merz says," November 3, 2026; Reuters (updated report via syndication), "Ukraine's Zelenskiy visits Germany for show of support ahead of peace talks," November 3, 2026; Associated Press via Britannica, "Germany's Merz announces new aid for Ukraine in Kyiv as Russia steps up attacks," October 4, 2026; Reuters, "US to hold trilateral talks with Ukraine, Russia in Abu Dhabi next week, US official says," November 2, 2026.