Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Berlin on Tuesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has confirmed, in a trip kept secret until hours before it takes place.
Merz announced the visit on Tuesday morning while speaking at a business conference in Berlin. “He’ll be here with me just after midday, and things will be a bit different then,” Merz said, referring to Zelensky’s visit to the White House last year. He did not set out a detailed agenda in the remarks reported by Reuters.
Visits by the Ukrainian president to Germany are routinely kept secret until shortly before they occur and take place under the highest security precautions, a practice driven by the security risks of wartime travel.
Germany, Ukraine’s largest supporter
Germany has become Ukraine’s largest supporter in its defence against Russia’s invasion, which escalated into a full-scale war in February 2022. Berlin’s military, financial and humanitarian backing makes it one of Kyiv’s most important partners, and Merz has been among the most vocal European advocates of sustaining that support.
Timing: security conference and Abu Dhabi talks
The timing is notable. The Berlin Security Conference also begins on Tuesday, though Kyiv has not commented publicly on the reasons for Zelensky’s visit, according to the Kyiv Independent, which cited German broadcaster ZDFheute’s reporting of Merz’s speech to the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The visit also comes days before a new round of peace negotiations. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Tuesday that trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States will be held in Abu Dhabi on 10-11 November, with Witkoff and Jared Kushner leading the US delegation.
What is not yet known
What is not yet known matters as much as what is confirmed. Neither Berlin nor Kyiv has published an official itinerary, and no statement has yet described what agreements, if any, the visit is expected to produce. That leaves the substance of the talks to be confirmed once the two leaders meet.
For readers, the visit is best understood as part of a fast-moving diplomatic sequence: a Berlin meeting on Tuesday, followed within a week by three-way talks in Abu Dhabi. Whether the Berlin stop produces concrete announcements on support for Ukraine or on the negotiating position Kyiv takes to Abu Dhabi will become clear only after the meeting itself.
Sources
Reuters, “Ukraine’s Zelenskiy to visit Berlin on Tuesday, Germany’s Merz says”, 3 Nov 2026; Kyiv Independent, “Zelensky to visit Berlin on Nov. 3, German chancellor says”, 3 Nov 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the visit secret? Visits by the Ukrainian president to Germany are routinely kept secret until shortly before they occur and take place under the highest security precautions, because of the security risks of wartime travel.
What has Merz said about the agenda? He did not set out a detailed agenda in the remarks reported by Reuters.
What happens next? Trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States are scheduled in Abu Dhabi on 10-11 November.
