German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany sees a negotiated two-state solution as the only path forward and emphasized, “For Germany, recognition of the State of Palestine is still at the very end of the process. However, such a process must begin immediately.” Ahead of his visit to Israel and Palestine, Wadephul urged Israel to ensure the safe distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza and warned against unilateral annexation steps in the West Bank.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Berlin for a surprise visit, meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz before joining an online conference with European leaders, including France, UK, Italy, Poland, Finland, and EU officials, to discuss Ukraine’s situation. A second call will include US President Donald Trump and Vice President James Vance ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska. European leaders stressed that Ukraine must have a say in any peace process. Berlin deployed heavy security for the visit, closing streets, restricting metro access, and stationing mounted police and snipers around the Chancellery.