Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Berlin today for a series of high-level video conferences hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The meetings come just days before the

planned Alaska summit on Friday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky is set to hold a one-on-one meeting with Merz before joining virtual talks with EU leaders, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and other allies. The goal is to coordinate positions ahead of Zelensky’s own discussions with Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance later in the day. A separate online session of the “coalition of the willing” — nations providing military aid to Kyiv — is planned for mid-afternoon.

Notably, Zelensky has not been invited to the Alaska summit, a decision that has unsettled several European capitals.

Meanwhile, Putin is moving to deepen military and political ties with North Korea. On Tuesday, he spoke by phone with Kim Jong-un, commending the “bravery” of North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine’s Kursk border region.

Since last year, Pyongyang has reportedly sent around 15,000 soldiers to support Russia, along with artillery, missiles, and other weaponry. Kim pledged continued backing for Moscow’s future actions. According to the Kremlin, Putin also briefed Kim on his upcoming talks with Trump, where a potential Ukraine ceasefire is expected to be on the agenda. Photo by President Of Ukraine from Україна, Wikimedia commons.