Germany's Merz hosts Ukraine's Zelenskiy for talks in Berlin

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin at the chancellery on Tuesday as part of German-Ukrainian government consultations, a spokesperson for the German government said on Tuesday. Germany is Europe's largest contributor of military aid to Ukraine, having provided around 55 billion euros ($64 billion) since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. In its 2026 budget, Germany allocated 11.5 billion euros to Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin last week declared a 32-hour ceasefire in Ukraine over the Orthodox Easter weekend, following an earlier call by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a pause in hostilities to observe the holiday. Also Read: Russia, Ukraine trade prisoners, drone strikes Zelenskyy had earlier proposed that both sides stop targeting each other's energy infrastructure over the holiday, saying he made the offer through the United States, which has been mediating talks between delegations from Moscow and Kyiv. Russia has effectively rejected a 30-day unconditional truce proposed last year by the US and Ukraine as a step toward peace, insisting instead on a comprehensive settlement, though Moscow has announced several short, unilateral ceasefires. US-led talks have made no progress on key issues, and Washington's attention has shifted to the Middle East conflict while the Russian and Ukrainian armies remain locked in battle along a roughly 1,250-kilometre front line.