BERLIN — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Berlin on a visit that could help repair the strained ties between Kyiv and Germany, a country that for decades has preferred to avoid involvement in military conflicts. At a news conference with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelensky described a new German defense package as “a very strong pillar of support” and thanked Germany “for every life in Ukraine you saved.”
Germany’s initial reluctance to provide Ukraine with its Leopard battle tanks prompted a backlash from other Western allies. But on Saturday, the government announced a fresh $2.95 billion in military aid for Kyiv. The latest package is likely to include 30 Leopard tanks, at least 100 other armored vehicles, 200 reconnaissance drones and ammunition, according to a top Ukrainian official.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
Zelensky, in private, plots bold attacks inside Russia, leak shows: Ukraine’s president has cultivated a stoic statesmanlike image in public, garnering praise from the country’s Western allies. But in private, John Hudson and Isabelle Khurshudyan report, he has shown an inclination for far more aggressive tactics, such as attacks inside Russian territory, according to previously undisclosed classified U.S. military documents.
The internal communications involving Zelensky and his top aides and military leaders suggest discussions about occupying villages in Russia for leverage against Moscow and bombing a pipeline transferring Russian oil to Hungary, a NATO member.
Masih reported from Seoul, Timsit from London, Sands from Marseille, France.
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