Zelenskyy visits Berlin as he seeks more support for Ukraine in the war
against Russia
[May 28, 2025]
By STEFANIE DAZIO
BERLIN (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with new
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday as Ukraine seeks
further military support amid a recent escalation in Russia's bombing
campaign, despite U.S.-led efforts to end the war.
Germany has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine
after the United States. Merz has plunged into 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 U.S.-led peace
talks.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul was set to meet in Washington
with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Ukraine is ready to hold peace talks at the
highest level, including a trilateral meeting with himself, Putin and
U.S. 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. Zelenskyy said he
would accept any configuration of talks, whether that includes one
trilateral meeting or separate meetings with Trump.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is grateful to 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,” 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.
Taurus cruise missiles may be discussed
Merz said on Monday that 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.
Merz’s government hasn't 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 government has said it would no longer provide full details of the
weapons it's supplying to Ukraine, unlike Scholz’s administration,
citing the need for “strategic ambiguity.”
Taurus missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers (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.
Zelenskyy said that he plans to discuss the supply and use of long-range
weapons in his talks with Merz. The Ukrainian leader said Tuesday that
he hasn't received any indications from Germany that their policy of
limiting the use of Western weapons against Russian targets has changed.
Ukraine needs $30 billion in additional financing to help it compete
with Russia in the production of drones and missiles, Zelenskyy said.
Russia is aiming to produce 300-350 drones per day, he said.
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Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, right, welcomes Ukraine's
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an official military reception
at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, May 28, 2025.(AP
Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Front-line fighting, deep strikes continue
Meanwhile, fighting has continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer
(620-mile) front line, where Ukraine's army is shorthanded against
its bigger adversary. Zelenskyy claimed Tuesday that Russia is
mobilizing up to 45,000 men every month, while Ukraine mobilizes
between 25,000-27,000.
Both sides are continuing to conduct deep strikes. Russia launched
its biggest drone attack of the war against Ukraine on Sunday.
Russian air defenses downed 296 Ukrainian drones over 13 Russian
regions late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry
said, in what appeared to be one of the biggest Ukrainian drone
assaults of the war.
Ukraine is increasing its domestic production of drones and
missiles, according to Zelenskyy. He said late Tuesday that Ukraine
wants European countries to help it invest in the manufacturing of
attack drones, air defense interceptors, cruise missiles and
ballistic systems.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that air defenses shot down
Ukrainian 33 drones heading toward the capital.
Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said that 42
drones were downed. He said that drone fragments damaged three
residential buildings in the village of Troitskoye, but no one was
hurt.
Moscow airports delayed or diverted hundreds of flights.
Overnight, Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine using five
Iskander ballistic missiles, one guided air-launched missile and 88
drones, Ukraine’s Air Force said Wednesday. Air defense units shot
down 34 drones, and 37 drones were jammed.
Ukraine’s railway infrastructure and equipment in the Kharkiv,
Donetsk and Sumy regions also came under fire overnight and
Wednesday morning, Ukraine’s state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia
said. No casualties were reported.
In Kharkiv region, railway traffic was temporarily suspended so that
police and emergency workers could clear debris from a downed drone
that landed on the tracks. In Sloviansk in the Donetsk region, the
attack shattered windows at the station building, and drone debris
slightly damaged a train car.
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Hanna Arhirova and Samya Kullab contributed to this report from
Kyiv, Ukraine.
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