Zelensky discussed his next steps with Merz before heading to the White House

Ahead of the planned meeting with US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky discussed his next steps with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, DPA reported.

“We are coordinating our positions and everyone in Europe must be on the same wavelength in defense of our European way of life, the independence of our countries and peace in Europe“, Zelensky wrote on the social network “Ex“ last night. “There must be peace“, he added.

For his part, Merz also said on “Ex“: “We remain on your side without hesitation. A strong, coordinated European approach remains essential for peace, freedom and security. The Berlin Group is ready to help – closely coordinated with our American partners“, he added.

Zelensky also said that he had informed Merz about “our work with the American envoys“. “We all remember the format of the Berlin meeting and the productivity that was achieved there. We continue to work in this way. We agreed to continue to act together with the Europeans“, the Ukrainian president added.

The Berlin summit in mid-December was the first major meeting on the war in Ukraine involving the United States, Ukraine and leading Europeans in an EU country since Trump's new attempt at a peace settlement in November, DPA recalls.

“I am grateful to Germany for its unwavering and tangible support for Ukraine and our defense“, Zelensky noted. “Thanks to our cooperation with Germany, thousands of lives in Ukraine have already been saved from Russian attacks, and we are maintaining our defensive positions to ensure the strength of our diplomatic positions. Friedrich, thank you very much!“ the Ukrainian president wrote, addressing Merz.

Meanwhile, Zelensky discussed the negotiation process with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Ukrinform reported, citing his message on the “Telegram“ application.

“We discussed the negotiation process in great detail and I informed the Prime Minister about key points in our negotiating position. We are working constructively with the United States and we believe that it is crucial to maintain this level of cooperation. We are moving towards achieving results and a real end to the bloodshed,“ Zelensky wrote.