Zelenskyy Seeking More Ukraine Support 05/28 06:44

   Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with new German Chancellor 
Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday as Ukraine seeks further military support 
amid a recent escalation in Russia's bombing campaign, despite U.S.-led efforts 
to end the war.

   BERLIN (AP) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with new German 
Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday as Ukraine seeks further 
military support amid a recent escalation in Russia's bombing campaign, despite 
U.S.-led efforts to end the war.

   Germany has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine 
after the United States. Merz has plunged into diplomatic efforts to try to 
secure a ceasefire and keep Western support for Ukraine intact since becoming 
Germany's leader three weeks ago. European leaders have accused Russian 
President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in U.S.-led peace talks.

   German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul was set to meet in Washington with 
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.

   Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Ukraine is ready to hold peace talks at the 
highest level, including a trilateral meeting with himself, Putin and U.S. 
President Donald Trump.

   "We are ready to meet at the level of leaders. Both the American side knows 
this, and the Russian side knows this," he said. Zelenskyy said he would accept 
any configuration of talks, whether that includes one trilateral meeting or 
separate meetings with Trump.

   Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is grateful to Trump for 
his mediation efforts.

   "At the same time, there is a big number of nuances to be discussed that 
can't be neglected and which neither party is going to sacrifice, because of 
its national interests," Peskov told reporters. "Just like the United States, 
Russia has its national interests that are of primary importance to us."

   He said that Moscow will "soon" deliver its promised memorandum on a 
framework for a peace settlement.

   Taurus cruise missiles may be discussed

   Merz said on Monday that Germany and other major allies are no longer 
imposing any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine as it fights to 
repel Russia's full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.

   Merz's government hasn't said whether it will supply its Taurus long-range 
cruise missiles to Ukraine, something his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, refused to 
do and which Merz advocated for as opposition leader. The government has said 
it would no longer provide full details of the weapons it's supplying to 
Ukraine, unlike Scholz's administration, citing the need for "strategic 
ambiguity."

   Taurus missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles). The 
German- and Swedish-made missiles, which are equipped with stealth technology, 
would be able to reach targets deep in Russia from Ukrainian soil, including 
the Black Sea. Ukraine wants the missiles to complement the long-range Storm 
Shadow missiles sent by Britain and France's nearly identical Scalp cruise 
missiles.

   Zelenskyy said that he plans to discuss the supply and use of long-range 
weapons in his talks with Merz. The Ukrainian leader said Tuesday that he 
hasn't received any indications from Germany that their policy of limiting the 
use of Western weapons against Russian targets has changed.

   Ukraine needs $30 billion in additional financing to help it compete with 
Russia in the production of drones and missiles, Zelenskyy said. Russia is 
aiming to produce 300-350 drones per day, he said.

   Front-line fighting, deep strikes continue

   Meanwhile, fighting has continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer 
(620-mile) front line, where Ukraine's army is shorthanded against its bigger 
adversary. Zelenskyy claimed Tuesday that Russia is mobilizing up to 45,000 men 
every month, while Ukraine mobilizes between 25,000-27,000.

   Both sides are continuing to conduct deep strikes. Russia launched its 
biggest drone attack of the war against Ukraine on Sunday.

   Russian air defenses downed 296 Ukrainian drones over 13 Russian regions 
late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Russia's Defense Ministry said, in what 
appeared to be one of the biggest Ukrainian drone assaults of the war.

   Ukraine is increasing its domestic production of drones and missiles, 
according to Zelenskyy. He said late Tuesday that Ukraine wants European 
countries to help it invest in the manufacturing of attack drones, air defense 
interceptors, cruise missiles and ballistic systems.

   Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that air defenses shot down Ukrainian 33 
drones heading toward the capital.

   Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said that 42 drones were 
downed. He said that drone fragments damaged three residential buildings in the 
village of Troitskoye, but no one was hurt.

   Moscow airports delayed or diverted hundreds of flights.

   Overnight, Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine using five Iskander 
ballistic missiles, one guided air-launched missile and 88 drones, Ukraine's 
Air Force said Wednesday. Air defense units shot down 34 drones, and 37 drones 
were jammed.

   Ukraine's railway infrastructure and equipment in the Kharkiv, Donetsk and 
Sumy regions also came under fire overnight and Wednesday morning, Ukraine's 
state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia said. No casualties were reported.

   In Kharkiv region, railway traffic was temporarily suspended so that police 
and emergency workers could clear debris from a downed drone that landed on the 
tracks. In Sloviansk in the Donetsk region, the attack shattered windows at the 
station building, and drone debris slightly damaged a train car.