English: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Friedrich Merz, Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union party and Leader of the CDU/CSU opposition faction in the German Bundestag.

“I want to thank you for your support. Germany's assistance is very serious – the second largest in the world after the United States. In total, financial support for our army, along with humanitarian aid, amounts to approximately 37 billion euros. We are deeply grateful for this. We believe that this assistance will not stop, and that Germany will continue supporting Ukraine. We look forward to stronger, more decisive actions of Germany from you personally,” the Head of State said. The President praised the friendly relations between Ukraine and the Federal Republic of Germany. It was particularly proven by recent negotiations with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Kyiv and the meeting with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Paris. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Friedrich Merz discussed increased funding for military assistance to Ukraine for the coming year. This assistance is vital for defending lives in Ukraine. The country faces daily Russian attacks, and every act of support saves lives. Increased assistance also directly strengthens Ukraine's position in achieving a just and lasting peace. One of the key topics of the meeting was the Victory Plan. Both sides agreed that Ukraine could benefit from enhanced long-range capabilities and a secured invitation to NATO, noting that achieving a just peace would have a significant impact on global security. They also discussed Ukraine’s integration into the EU, ensuring unity in Europe, and its role in strengthening Ukraine. The President supported the CDU Leader’s idea of creating a Contact Group involving Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Poland to work towards restoring a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that Denmark be included in this group. Special attention was paid to the issue of Ukrainians who fled to Germany because of the full-scale Russian invasion. The Head of State announced that the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of National Unity of Ukraine, Oleksiy Chernyshov, to Berlin is already planned. Friedrich Merz highlighted that Germany is engaged in intensive discussions on military assistance details and the types of weapons to be provided to Ukraine, but there is a fundamental consensus on the necessity of providing assistance to end the war and establish a just peace.

“Our faction’s position is clear: we aim to enable your Armed Forces to strike military bases — not civilian populations or infrastructure, but the precise targets from which the war against your country is being waged. I addressed this in the Bundestag a few weeks ago. By imposing such range restrictions, we are effectively compelling you to fight with one hand tied behind your back,” he emphasized.