Zelenskyy meets with Kupiansk frontline troops ahead of Berlin security talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the frontline city of Kupiansk on Friday, just weeks after Russia claimed its forces had taken control.

In a video posted to X, Zelenskyy is seen wearing a flak jacket and speaking in front of a heavily damaged sign in Cyrillic that says “Kupiansk.”

“Today, I am in the Kupiansk sector, with our warriors who are getting the job done for Ukraine here,” he said. “The Russians kept going on about Kupiansk – the reality speaks for itself. I visited our troops and congratulated them.”

Russian state media outlet TASS reported in November that Russian forces had “liberated” the city of Kupiansk in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, citing a briefing from Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia’s armed forces, to President Vladimir Putin.

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Zelenskyy’s visit comes as he and his negotiating team prepare for a new round of talks Sunday in Berlin with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

He is also expected to hold talks with European leaders on a broader political agreement to end the war and secure long-term safety for Ukraine, as well as plans to support the country’s postwar recovery and development.

“We are focusing on how to reliably guarantee Ukraine’s security so that the experience of the Budapest Memorandum and Russia’s invasion are never repeated. We are counting on constructive talks,” said Zelenskyy on X.

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz added that any sustainable ceasefire in Ukraine must include firm guarantees and protect European security interests, warning that peace cannot be reached at the expense of the EU or NATO or without their participation.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte echoed those concerns last week, warning members of the transatlantic alliance that they could be Russia’s next target.

Rutte, speaking at the Bavarian State Representation during a Munich Security Conference event in Germany, told attendees that raising defense spending wasn’t a moment for self-congratulation while Russia continues its large-scale attacks on Ukraine.

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“I fear that too many are quietly complacent. Too many don’t feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not. The time for action is now,” he said.

The NATO chief urged allies to boost defense spending and production, saying their armed forces must have the resources needed to protect their homelands, and cautioning that Moscow could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years.