German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is optimistic that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting on Monday at the White House will not go the way the last one did. An extraordinary, unprecedented scene unfolded at that meeting at the end of February,

Ahead of President Donald Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, the European Union will have a call with him Wednesday on Ukraine.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and Finnish president Alexander Stubb were the first leaders to confirm they will join Mr Zelensky in Washington DC.