Selenskyj in Berlin: High security for crucial meetings with Merz

Selenskyj in Berlin: High security for crucial meetings with Merz

Berlin, Deutschland - The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj will travel to Berlin on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). The Federal Press Office has so far not officially confirmed the visit. The appointment is of particular importance, since it is possible to take further technical discussions between Ukraine and Russia.

Selenskyj will arrive on Wednesday morning and fly on Thursday morning. Due to the high security level, Berlin becomes a high -security zone during his stay. The Berlin police are preparing for a large -scale operation to ensure the security of the Ukrainian president. This will also lead to considerable traffic restrictions, especially in the area of ​​the airport, the city highways A113 and A100 as well as in the city center.

safety precautions and traffic restrictions

The police are planning spacious barriers around the Federal Chancellery and the Bellevue Castle. On Tuesday morning, more detailed information on the planned closures and traffic restrictions will be announced. Selenskyj may also be overnight at the Hotel Waldorf Astoria, which could result in additional traffic disruptions.

Chancellor Merz plans to inform Selenskyj about a new EU sanction package against Russia, which aims to increase the pressure on Russia, to have serious discussions. Merz supports the EU Commission's proposal to prevent the operation of the North Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea in new sanctions. This happens against the background of a dramatic Ukraine conflict that is still unsolved.

EU sanctions and geopolitical developments

In the current geopolitical situation, Ukraine has submitted a offerings to Russia. But President Putin has not yet responded to it. Merz has announced that he will threaten Russia with further EU sanctions if no progress in the negotiations are made by the end of the week. He emphasizes the need for Russia to agree to the European proposals that were submitted in Kiev last Saturday. In the event of failed advances, sanctions could be tightened at European level, which could also include sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet, which undermines the oilemargo reports .

These sanctions, which were decided as part of an EU's 16th package of measures, include export and import bans and the exclusion of Russian banks from the Swift system. The aim is to further increase the pressure on Putin, while Russia has been waging an attack war against Ukraine since February 2022.

Merz assures persistent military support for Ukraine and emphasizes that the ball is now at Putin, which must agree to the negotiation offer and explain a ceasefire. The negotiations in Istanbul, in which US President Trump could also take part, are in strong contrast to developments in Ukraine, which are now in a humanitarian crisis due to the continuing bombing.