Ukraine's top negotiator unexpectedly arrives in Berlin: What was discussed
Photo: Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (Getty Images)
Ukraine’s top negotiator, Rustem Umerov, has arrived in Berlin for talks with representatives of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, Politico reports.
According to the outlet, on Tuesday, Umerov will meet with national security advisers from the E3 group — Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
The talks are being held in a confidential format. A spokesperson for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declined to comment on the meeting, saying that it was a "confidential meeting."
The Ukrainian Embassy in Berlin also did not provide any comment.
The day before, Umerov was in Brussels, where he held talks with representatives of the European Commission on defense cooperation, and on Tuesday morning, he departed for Germany.
Politico noted that the talks are taking place at a critical moment following Russia’s massive attack on Kyiv and new statements from Moscow about "consistent and systematic strikes" on the Ukrainian capital.
Comment from Umerov’s spokesperson
Umerov’s spokesperson, Diana Davitian, confirmed to journalists that the minister is working in Berlin.
According to her, one of the meetings was with his German counterpart Günter Sautter.
The sides discussed security issues, the negotiation process, and defense cooperation between Ukraine and Germany, including the implementation of the Drone Deal.
At the same time, Davitian denied reports of an emergency nature of the talks.
"There is no emergency meeting. This is normal scheduled work with European colleagues. Yesterday Brussels, today Berlin. There will also be several other European capitals this week,” the spokesperson said.
She also stressed that the issue of Ukraine’s limited EU membership was not raised during the talks.
Russia’s threats against Kyiv
On May 25, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that retaliatory strikes on Kyiv had been carried out and would continue.
Later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also threatened new strikes on the Ukrainian capital during a conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and called on foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv.
The Center for Countering Disinformation explained that there are three key reasons behind the new wave of Kremlin threats against Kyiv.
According to its head, Andriy Kovalenko, Russia is trying to compensate for the lack of strategic success on the battlefield and increase psychological pressure on Ukrainians.
