(28 May 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Berlin – 28 May
1. Wide of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor, arriving
2. Mid of photographers
3. Wide of press conference
4. SOUNDBITE (German) Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor:
“We will continue to increase the pressure on Russia. We are doing this in order to weaken the war machine of Moscow. But we are doing it also to open to path to negotiations. For the Federal Republic of Germany I say that in this context we will do everything to prevent Nordstream 2 from being put into operation again”
5. Wide of Zelenskyy and Merz
6. SOUNDBITE (German) Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor:
“We will continue our military support and even increase it, so that Ukraine can continue to defend itself against this Russian aggression – now and in the future. And I want to stress something new in this context. We are financing a considerable part of the Starlink coverage of the country. And our defense ministers are going to sign a memorandum of understanding on the procurement of long range weapon systems produced by Ukraine – so-called long range fires. There will be no range limits on these. Ukraine will be able to fully defend itself including against military targets outside its own territory.”
7. Wide of Zelenskyy and Merz, reporter asking question in foreground
8. SOUNDBITE (German) Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor:
"And this is will also be a cooperation on an industrial level, which can happen both in Ukraine and Germany. We will not divulge further details about this for the time being. But you can expect, that the refusal of the Russian side to negotiate, the refusal to observe a ceasefire, will have real consequences.”
9. Wide of press conference
10. wide of Zelenskyy and Merz leaving
STORYLINE:
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.
“We will continue to increase the pressure on Russia. We are doing this in order to weaken the war machine of Moscow. But we are doing it also to open to path to negotiations," Merz said, speaking in Berlin.
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.
Zelenskyy said he would accept any configuration of talks, whether that includes one trilateral meeting or separate meetings with Trump.
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.
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