Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that he met with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, just weeks before a federal election in Germany. "We discussed ways to further advance a just peace for Ukraine,

Mr Merz argued the need “to negotiate with the American side from a position of strength”. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Germany's election frontrunner says Europeans are waiting for Germany to take the lead on dealing with the new American president.

Friedrich Merz, the conservative frontrunner to replace Chancellor Olaf Scholz after Germany's upcoming elections, is calling on the European Union to present a united front in response to US President-elect Donald Trump.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met in the German Bundestag with Friedrich Merz, the leader of the German opposition and the CDU/CSU (Union) parliamentary group, as well as a candidate for the next chancellor of Germany.