Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is set to meet with national security advisors from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom on Tuesday in Berlin. The discussions are being held in a confidential format, and a spokesperson for the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, declined to comment on the meeting due to its private nature.
Prior to his arrival in Germany, Umerov was in Brussels, where he engaged in talks with representatives from the European Commission regarding defense cooperation. He flew to Berlin on Tuesday morning.
According to Politico, the timing of these negotiations is critical, following a recent wave of attacks by Russia on Kyiv and new statements from Moscow about ongoing strikes aimed at the Ukrainian capital.
Umerov’s spokesperson, Diana Davityan, confirmed to reporters that the minister is actively working in Berlin. She noted that one of the meetings included discussions with German counterpart Günther Saüther, focusing on security issues, the negotiation process, and defense collaboration, particularly the implementation of the Drone Deal.
Davityan also clarified that the meetings are not of an urgent nature, stating, “There is no emergency meeting. This is standard planned work with European colleagues. Yesterday was Brussels, today is Berlin, and there will be more European capitals this week.” She emphasized that the topic of Ukraine’s “limited EU membership” was not addressed during the talks.
In related developments, on May 25, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that strikes on Kyiv had been executed and would continue. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also threatened new attacks on the Ukrainian capital during a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is meeting with E3 national security advisors in Berlin amid escalating tensions following recent Russian attacks on Kyiv. The discussions focus on defense cooperation, although they are not deemed urgent.