Zelensky Meets With German Leaders, a Day After Their Large Weapons Pledge

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine met with Germany’s leaders in Berlin on Sunday morning, a day after Germany introduced its largest package deal of army help but for Kyiv and because the two nations search to show the web page on months of rocky relations.

Escorted by German fighter jets, Mr. Zelensky was making his first to Germany since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine started greater than a 12 months in the past. He met first with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Berlin’s Bellevue Palace and was then acquired with army honors by Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the chancellery.

The grand reception for Mr. Zelensky got here although Mr. Scholz, whose nation is one among Ukraine’s largest monetary and army backers, was among the many final of European leaders to obtain a go to from the wartime president.

Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Scholz are hoping to enhance ties after a 12 months marred by diplomatic sniping and wrangling over Berlin’s initially slower tempo in delivering weapons to Ukraine. Both sides are conscious that their relationship will likely be extra vital than ever forward of Ukraine’s looming counteroffensive in opposition to Russia, during which an inflow of refined Western-supplied weapons is predicted to play a key function.

“At the most difficult time in Ukraine’s modern history, Germany has proved to be our true friend and reliable ally, standing resolutely by the Ukrainian people in the fight to defend freedom and democratic values,” Mr. Zelensky wrote within the Bellevue Palace visitor ebook on Sunday. “Together we will win and bring peace back to Europe.”

Mr. Zelensky’s journey to Germany follows a go to to Rome, the place peace negotiations have been a serious theme in conferences with Pope Francis and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

When requested about negotiations, Mr. Zelensky’s authorities in Kyiv has persistently mentioned that its precedence is to reclaim all the territory that Russia at present holds, together with in Crimea, and that this may be achieved both by way of battlefield positive aspects or by way of a call made in Moscow to withdraw. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has proven no indicators of desirous to make concessions or interact in significant dialogue about ending the conflict.

Some European officers have expressed concern that American assist for Ukraine may wane if a Republican is elected president subsequent 12 months. Ukrainian and German officers have privately mentioned that Mr. Zelensky could also be hoping to steer Mr. Scholz to play a extra influential function in main European assist for the conflict and for negotiations on a possible settlement of the battle.

That is one thing the chancellor has been reluctant to do.

Later on Sunday, Mr. Zelensky is predicted to journey to the western German metropolis of Aachen to obtain the distinguished Charlemagne award on behalf of himself and the Ukrainian individuals. The award is bestowed on individuals deemed to have performed probably the most to advertise European unity.

Previous winners have included Winston Churchill, Pope Francis, Angela Merkel and Bill Clinton. The judges’ resolution to award the prize to Mr. Zelensky and the individuals of Ukraine underscored each how the conflict has united Europeans and the irony that Ukraine will not be part of the European Union, regardless of Kyiv’s robust entreaties to hitch.

Russian missile strike hits Ternopil in western Ukraine

Russia has fired missiles on the Ternopil area in western Ukraine, Ukrainian officers on Sunday, hitting the hometown of Ukraine’s Eurovision group in the course of the track contest and demonstrating Moscow’s potential to launch assaults removed from the entrance strains.

The in a single day strike concerned cruise missiles and destroyed two homes, the regional governor, Volodymyr Trush, mentioned on Sunday on the Telegram messaging app. Other houses, buildings and autos have been additionally broken, he added. While preliminary studies mentioned two civilians had been injured, by Sunday morning Mr. Trush mentioned that “there were no casualties from this extraordinary event.”

Ukraine’s entry to the Eurovision competitors, the pop duo Tvorchi, wrote on its Instagram web page that “Ternopil is the name of our hometown, which was bombed by Russia while we sang on the Eurovision stage about our steel hearts, indomitability and will.” Tvorchi completed in sixth place within the competitors, which concluded on Saturday evening in Liverpool, England.

The assault was deep in western Ukraine, lower than 100 miles from Lviv, an space that has largely been spared the brunt of the conflict. It signaled that despite the fact that the Kremlin’s inventory of weapons could have been depleted by 15 months of preventing, Russia retains the flexibility to focus on virtually any a part of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Air Force mentioned that Russia in a single day had launched assaults throughout the nation utilizing drones and cruise missiles. It mentioned in a submit on Telegram that air defenses had intercepted 25 assault drones and three cruise missiles, however didn’t specify what number of had managed to get by way of.

The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, was additionally among the many targets. Serhiy Popko, the pinnacle of Kyiv’s army administration, mentioned that Ukrainian troopers had intercepted and destroyed Russian reconnaissance drones launched at Kyiv. It was not instantly doable to independently confirm the claims.

But the Ukrainian army’s General Staff mentioned in its morning replace on Sunday that the Kremlin’s prime focus was nonetheless on japanese Ukraine, with Bakhmut and Maryinka “remaining at the epicenter of the fighting.” In latest days, Kyiv’s forces have made advances in Bakhmut, the place tens of hundreds of troopers are believed to have died.