Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday before joining a German-hosted virtual conference with U.S. President Donald Trump, NATO and European leaders, two days ahead of Trump’s first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2021.
The Berlin meeting marked the first leg of a diplomatic push by Kyiv and its European allies to stress the risks of a deal that could compromise Ukraine’s interests. The video conference at 2 p.m. (1200 GMT), will bring together the leaders of Germany, Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland and the European Union, as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance are expected to join the call at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT).
The session comes ahead of the Alaska summit, which Trump has described as a “feel-out” meeting in pursuit of a ceasefire in Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Trump said last week that any agreement could involve “some swapping of territories”, remarks that alarmed officials in Kyiv and across Europe. European leaders have stressed that no deal on Ukraine should be reached without Ukraine’s participation, noting that nearly a fifth of its territory remains under Russian occupation.
A senior official from Eastern Europe said allies were working to prevent any arrangement being made without their input.
“We are focusing now to ensure that it does not happen, engaging with U.S. partners and staying coordinated and united on the European side. Still a lot of time until Friday,” the official said.
Trump’s administration has sought to lower expectations for a breakthrough in Alaska, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling the talks a “listening exercise” to gauge what each side wants.
After the virtual meeting with Trump, the “coalition of the willing”, a group of countries preparing plans to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, will also convene online.
On the battlefield, Russian forces have tightened their hold on the eastern Ukrainian cities of Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka, increasing pressure ahead of Friday’s summit.
A Gallup poll published last week found that 69% of Ukrainians support ending the conflict through negotiations as soon as possible, though polls indicate they are unwilling to accept “crushing concessions”.
Zelenskyy has said Kyiv could not agree to withdraw its troops from the Donbas region, stressing that territorial issues can only be addressed once a ceasefire and security guarantees are in place.
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Argentina’s economic activity fell by 0.3% in November 2025 compared with the same month a year earlier, marking the country’s first monthly contraction of the year, the national statistics agency INDEC said on Wednesday.
Kazakhstan has yet to receive results from two foreign laboratories examining evidence linked to the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft near Aktau, delaying the publication of the final investigation report, officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow could pay $1 billion from Russian assets frozen abroad to secure permanent membership in Donald Trump’s proposed ‘Board of Peace’.
At least eight Nigerian soldiers were killed and around 50 wounded after Islamist Boko Haram fighters attacked a military position in Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, security sources said on Wednesday.
More than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup on Interstate 96 in western Michigan on Monday (19 January), forcing the highway to shut in both directions amid severe winter weather.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would impose a 200% tariff on French wines and champagnes after France declined to join his proposed Board of Peace on Gaza initiative.
Several locally-developed instant messaging applications were reportedly restored in Iran on Tuesday (20 January), partially easing communications restrictions imposed after recent unrest.
There was a common theme in speeches at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday (20 January). China’s Vice-Premier, He Lifeng, warned that "tariffs and trade wars have no winners," while France's Emmanuel Macron, labelled "endless accumulation of new tariffs" from the U.S. "fundamentally unacceptable."
Dozens of beaches along Australia's east coast, including in Sydney, closed on Tuesday (20 January) after four shark attacks in two days, as heavy rains left waters murky and more likely to attract the animals.
Venezuela’s oil exports under a flagship $2bn supply deal with the U.S. reached around 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and state-run PDVSA documents show, with shipments accelerating after Washington eased its blockade — but not enough for PDVSA to fully reverse output cuts.
A senior official at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Wednesday that roughly 6% of U.S. air travellers are not presenting identification that meets stricter federal standards, as the agency prepares to start charging passengers without enhanced ID a $45 fee from 1 February.
Kazakhstan has yet to receive results from two foreign laboratories examining evidence linked to the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft near Aktau, delaying the publication of the final investigation report, officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow could pay $1 billion from Russian assets frozen abroad to secure permanent membership in Donald Trump’s proposed ‘Board of Peace’.
At least eight Nigerian soldiers were killed and around 50 wounded after Islamist Boko Haram fighters attacked a military position in Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, security sources said on Wednesday.
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