President Volodymyr Zelensky met with President of the German Bundestag Julia Kloeckner in Kyiv on Wednesday for a wide-ranging discussion about ongoing peace negotiations with Russia, Middle Eastern security, and Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
Kloeckner’s arrival in the capital marked her first visit to Ukraine since she assumed the role of president of Germany’s federal parliament in March 2025.
In a post on X, Zelensky said he had expressed his gratitude to Kloeckner for Germany’s “comprehensive support of Ukraine.”
“We value Germany’s leadership, particularly in strengthening air defense, which helps us protect lives and critical infrastructure every day,” he added.
Zelensky said their discussion had covered the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran, which has seen Ukraine use its hard-won expertise in countering Iranian-made drones to aid in defending the region from Iran’s retaliatory attacks.
In an address to Ukraine’s parliament earlier on Wednesday, Kloeckner said that Berlin is “not forgetting” Ukraine despite spiralling tensions in the Middle East.
“We are not losing sight of you in Ukraine – on the contrary,” Kloeckner said, according to AFP. “No democracy should become accustomed to a neighboring state denying its right to exist. That is why we are offering Ukraine political, financial, humanitarian and military support.”
Zelensky added that he and Kloeckner discussed “preparations for the next trilateral meeting” – referring to ongoing US-mediated negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
Trilateral talks between the three countries were slated for early this month, until the plan was derailed by US military action in the Middle East. Zelensky said on Tuesday that Washington has put forward plans for another round of US-brokered peace talks next week.
“We also discussed European matters – Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, the unblocking of the 20th sanctions package, and the implementation of the agreement to provide Ukraine with €90 billion over the next two years,” Zelensky said.
The EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia was unveiled on Feb. 6, with EU officials reportedly working to have it ready by the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24.
Little progress has been made since, however, with Hungary attempting to delay its implementation over Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline. Budapest has accused Kyiv of intentionally blocking transit through the pipeline.
Hungary, along with neighboring Slovakia, both rely heavily on Russian oil. The two countries are also blocking a €90 billion ($104 billion) EU assistance loan to Ukraine over the Druzhba pipeline row.
“I also thanked Germany for its energy support during this difficult winter, with hundreds of challenges over these months. We are grateful that we were not alone,” Zelensky added.
Also on Wednesday, Kloeckner accompanied her Ukrainian counterpart on a visit to one of the energy facilities in the Kyiv region that Russia has targeted, according to Ukrinform.
This winter saw renewed Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with hundreds of thousands of people plunged into cold and darkness in sub-freezing temperatures.