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Volodymyr Zelensky

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky voiced hope Friday that the war with Russia will end next year, speaking during a visit to Berlin to ask for sustained military support.

As Ukraine faces a gruelling third winter at war, Zelensky has been seeking support on a two-day whirlwind tour of European capitals that earlier took him to London, Paris and Rome.


Visiting chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelensky, dressed in his trademark military clothes, thanked Germany for its backing and said that 鈥榠t is very important for us that this assistance does not decrease next year鈥�.

He said he would present Scholz with his plan for winning the war, voicing hope that the conflict would end 鈥榥o later than next year, 2025鈥�.

鈥楿kraine more than anyone else in the world wants a fair and speedy end to this war,鈥� Zelensky said. 鈥楾he war is destroying our country, taking the lives of our people.鈥�

Scholz pledged Germany and EU partners would send more defence equipment this year, and German aid worth four billion euros in 2025, vowing that 鈥榳e will not let up in our support for Ukraine鈥�.

Scholz said he and the Ukrainian leader agreed on the need for a peace conference that includes Russia, but that a peace 鈥榗an only be brought about on the basis of international law鈥�.

鈥榃e will not accept a peace dictated by Russia,鈥� Scholz said.

Zelensky has been seeking fresh military and financial aid from his European allies amid fears of dwindling support if Donald Trump wins the US presidency next month.

A scheduled Ukraine defence meeting Saturday at the Ramstein US air base in western Germany was postponed after US President Joe Biden called off a state visit to Germany because of Hurricane Milton.

Germany has been Ukraine鈥檚 biggest military aid supplier after the United States.

However, Scholz has rejected sending the German long-range Taurus missile system, fearing an escalation of NATO鈥檚 tense standoff with nuclear-armed Russia.

Zelensky had started the day at the Vatican for talks with the 87-year-old leader of the world鈥檚 almost 1.4 billion Catholics 鈥� his second private audience with Pope Francis since Russia鈥檚 February 2022 invasion.

Francis has repeatedly called for peace in Ukraine and regularly prays for its 鈥榤artyred鈥� people, but he sparked outrage in Kyiv earlier this year after giving an interview in which he urged Ukrainians to 鈥榬aise the white flag and negotiate鈥�.

In a post on social media Friday, Zelensky said his talks with the pope had focused on the 鈥榠ncredibly painful鈥� question of people captured and deported from Ukraine to Russia, saying he hoped the Holy See could help.

The Vatican said Zelensky had discussed during the visit 鈥榯he state of the war and the humanitarian situation in Ukraine鈥� and ways to reach a 鈥榡ust and stable peace鈥�.

In Paris on Thursday, Zelensky held talks with French president Emmanuel Macron, after which he denied media reports that he was discussing the terms of a ceasefire with Russia.

鈥楾his is not the topic of our discussions,鈥� he told the press in the French capital. 鈥業t鈥檚 not right. Russia works a lot with media disinformation so it (such reports) is understandable.鈥�

Zelensky has rejected any peace plan that involves ceding land to Russia, arguing Moscow must first withdraw all troops from Ukrainian territory.

Russian forces have made advances across the eastern frontline and targeted the power grid as Ukraine faces its toughest winter since the full-scale Russian invasion started in February 2022.

Russia said Friday its forces had captured the frontline villages of Zhelanne Druge and Ostrivske, the latest in a string of territorial gains for Moscow.

Russian strikes overnight on the southern Ukrainian region of Odesa killed four people, including a teenage girl, and wounded 10 more, according to the regional governor.

Zelensky has pushed for clearance to use long-range weapons supplied by allies, including British Storm Shadow missiles, to strike military targets deep inside Russia.

Washington and London have stalled on giving approval over fears it could draw NATO allies into direct conflict with Russia.

In Germany, Scholz鈥檚 refusal to deliver Taurus missiles is controversial, even within his own three-party coalition with the Greens and the liberal Free Democrats.

鈥榃e must supply Ukraine with significantly more air defence, ammunition and long-range weapons,鈥� the Greens鈥� European MP Anton Hofreiter told the Rheinische Post newspaper Friday.

鈥楻estrictions on the range of weapons supplied do not contribute to de-escalation but rather enable further Russian attacks.鈥�

The FDP鈥檚 defence expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann told the same newspaper: 鈥業 very much hope that Zelensky will make it clear to the Chancellor once again that if Ukraine loses this war, this will not be the last war in Europe.鈥�