Zelenskyy meets Scholz in Berlin despite NATO meeting cancellation

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz received Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Berlin on Friday, where Scholz promised further aid packages before the cold Ukrainian winter sets in.

During the tour that included visiting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, Zelenskyy reportedly presented his peace plan, which pledges an end to the war in 2025.

Scholz promised new air defence systems and other weapons, along with a fresh military aid package, in collaboration with other NATO partners, worth €1.4 billion. €170 million has also been earmarked for Ukraine’s energy system, according to Scholz.

All eyes on Washington and 5 November

Zelenskyy was originally set to meet with US President Biden along with other key NATO members at a meeting on the Ramstein airbase scheduled for Saturday. However, the meeting was postponed after Biden stayed in the US as parts of the East coast were battered by hurricane Milton.

With no rescheduled date on the table for the meeting, experts suggest that Ukraine could be nervous ahead of the US election, less than a month away, as a visit from Biden may not carry as much weight when his presidency is coming to an end.

The polls are currently on knife edge between Trump and Harris and if Trump manages to win, experts are predicting that support for Ukraine will dry up from the US side.

The question remaining is how quickly Ukraine could be become a NATO member and if it would be the whole of Ukraine, or simply the territories not occupied by Russian forces. It is clear a lot will depend on the outcome of the US election next month.