Selenskyj in Berlin: New glimmer of hope for Ukraine?

Selenskyj in Berlin: New glimmer of hope for Ukraine?

Berlin, Deutschland - The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj will visit Berlin next Wednesday. This was officially confirmed by the federal government, and the talks are planned with Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Selenskyj's reception in the Chancellery will be received at 12 noon with military honor. As part of the visit, important topics such as the German support of Ukraine and the efforts for an armistice are discussed. After the conversations Avanja is a lunch together and a press conference that is supposed to take place at 1:30 p.m.

For the visit of Selenskyjs, extensive security measures and traffic closures in the Berlin government district are planned until 10 p.m. Streets such as Lennéstraße, Ebertstraße, Potsdamer Straße, Potsdamer Platz, Leipziger Platz and Bellevuestraße are particularly affected. For security reasons, information on Selenskyjs abroad is hardly communicated in advance.

support for Ukraine

The Ukrainian President pursues a “victory plan” that is striving for an early end of the war with Russia. This is related to the geopolitical reality that changed after the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014. The continuing conflict and the urgent need for military reforms in Ukraine are of central importance. Since 2014, NATO has been supporting Ukraine with various measures to improve Ukrainian armed forces, although there are different views in terms of reform priorities.

military reforms and NATO cooperation

The cooperation between NATO and Ukraine in the field of military reform has become more important since the annexation of the Crimea. Despite the initiatives to improve operational ability, there are persistent problems that are caused by internal factors such as corruption and conservative ways of thinking in military leadership. These challenges hinder progress and the necessary interoperability with NATO.

NATO sees Crimea-Anexion as a serious threat to transatlantic security and has strengthened its support for Ukraine, in particular through an auxiliary package with several projects to reform the defense and security sector. This support is considered both urgently and strategically necessary to strengthen Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Nevertheless, it remains unclear what special requirements the Ukrainian armed forces will need in the future in order to be able to cope with these challenges.