German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walk in the garden in the backyard of the Chancellery in Berlin on April 14, 2026 (Photo by Odd Andersen/ AFP)
Berlin, Germany: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday visited Germany which is increasingly seeking to tap Ukraine's battlefield expertise.
Zelensky was to hold talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, expected to focus in part on cooperation in drone production.
Defence ministers allied to Kyiv and NATO chief Mark Rutte were to meet on Wednesday in Berlin as part of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
Germany has become Ukraine's biggest backer in the war with Russia, now in its fifth year, as the United States has reduced its support.
The Ukrainian army now has strong battlefield experience in military drones, essential weapons due to their relatively low cost and increasing effectiveness and range.
The Zelensky-Merz meeting comes as hopes are rising that the European Union can soon provide Ukraine with a 90 billion euro ($105 billion) loan agreed in December.
German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius on Monday said he hoped the aid would be made available to Ukraine "very quickly".
