German chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz is planning a trip to Ukraine in early May to attend a summit of the “coalition of the willing,” Politico reported citing sources. The visit would coincide with a gathering of heads of state and government invited by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for 9 May, Welt says. The coalition of the willing is a group of 31 countries—notably excluding the US—that has pledged strengthened support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.
This comes amid US President Donald Trump’s pivot away from Ukraine and toward Russia, as he pushes for peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow, allegedly to end the ongoing Russian invasion. His administration has held multiple rounds of separate talks with Ukrainian and Russian officials to secure a ceasefire, but without tangible results.
Politico’s informed sources in Berlin and Brussels confirmed that preparations for Merz’s potential Ukraine trip are underway. Other high-ranking government leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, are also expected to attend, Welt says, adding that a spokesperson for Merz declined to comment on the report.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, speaking via video link at 14 April EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg, stated:
“On 9 May, we would like to hold a meeting of the coalition of the willing at the level of heads of state and government with President Zelenskyy’s participation to establish security guarantees for Ukraine,” according to Welt.
Zelenskyy separately noted that he hopes to meet with leaders from the coalition of the willing in May to “determine security guarantees” for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, Sybiha said, as per Politico.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy also invited Trump to visit Ukraine and witness the devastation caused by Russia’s war. In a CBS interview cited by Welt, he said such a visit would show Trump “what Putin has done,” warning that Putin seeks Ukraine’s total destruction.
Germany signals willingness to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine
Following Russia’s missile strike on Sunday, Friedrich Merz condemned the attack as a serious war crime. When asked about supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine, the CDU leader said he had “always” supported such a move, but only in coordination with European partners. He pointed out that “the British are doing it, the French are doing it, the Americans are doing it anyway.” Merz stressed that if deliveries are coordinated, “then Germany should participate.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov threatened escalation, claiming Merz supports “various measures that could lead to a new escalation and will inevitably lead to it.”
