Germany Stays In: Merz Promises Kyiv Fresh Air Defense and Energy Help

Friedrich Merz didn't mince words. Appearing next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin on Tuesday, the German Chancellor promised Kyiv additional assistance for air defense, energy and winter needs in the coming months, according to Breaking The News. Ukraine "can continue to rely on Germany," he said — and the reason, in his telling, is that the war's outcome "will determine European security for a long time to come."

Merz also welcomed the upcoming talks in Abu Dhabi, saying it's crucial for Russia to "finally engage in serious negotiations." Then he marked the calendar: a November 19 meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Berlin will settle what further support Ukraine gets in 2027.

Zelensky arrived with his own list of conditions. Europe, he told reporters, has to be in the room — "There can be no stable peace unless Europe is at the negotiating table." He said he hopes the two-day Abu Dhabi talks starting November 10 "will pave the way for a trilateral meeting at the level of heads of states and government," with security guarantees and a "prosperity package" on the agenda.

Moscow is already booked for the summit. Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed Tuesday that trilateral negotiations will run November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi, with Vladimir Medinsky heading Russia's delegation. Peskov also claimed Ukraine keeps targeting Russia's energy infrastructure and said more protective measures are coming.

There's more traffic on the diplomatic runway. The White House announced Tuesday that First Lady Melania Trump will receive Russian and Ukrainian representatives on Thursday, November 5, crediting her with initiating engagement between the two countries and securing a ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region. Separately, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Alexus Grynkewich, warned Warsaw about a possible Russian "provocation" in early November. Tusk didn't share details but warned opposition politicians not to make "useful idiots of themselves."