Zelensky expected to meet Nordic leaders in Helsinki

HELSINKI - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Finland on Wednesday to meet with Nordic leaders, a rare trip abroad for the Ukrainian leader amid the Russian invasion.

The Finnish President's office said in a statement that Zelensky had been invited to hold talks in Helsinki on "the defense struggle of Ukraine and the support of Finland to Ukraine", among other topics. Mr Zelensky and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto will hold a joint press conference after the talks, he added.

Mr. Niinisto and Mr. Zelensky were also due to meet the prime ministers of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland to "discuss the situation of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine" and "the continued support of the Nordic countries to Ukraine," as well as Ukraine's relations with the European Union and NATO, according to the statement.

Ukrainian President carried out few foreign trips since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Last month, he was greeted as a hero during an official visit to Poland.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Mr. Zelensky will also travel to Germany for an official state visit on May 13, Berlin police, responsible for providing security, confirmed on Wednesday.

Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, last month became NATO's 31st member state. It was a blow to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, who strongly opposed the expansion of the transatlantic military alliance.

Ukraine applied for NATO membership last year, but NATO countries are split on whether Ukraine should be offered a path to membership at a summit this summer.

Since Ukraine is not a member, NATO only helps coordinate requests for non-military assistance from Kyiv and supports deliveries of humanitarian aid. But individual NATO members, such as the United States and Germany, are among the largest providers of military assistance to Ukraine.

Although the Ukrainian leader has addressed German lawmakers via video link before, his trip to Berlin would mark his first in-person visit to Germany since the Russian invasion began. Germany is one of the largest donors of military aid to Ukraine.

In addition to the official state visit, which will include talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Mr Zelensky is also expected to attend a ceremony in the western city of Aachen, where he will receive the Charlemagne Prize for his work for the unification of Europe . Previous recipients of the award are Pope Francis, Winston Churchill, Bill Clinton, Henry A. Kissinger and Vaclav Havel.

Mr. Zelensky last visited Berlin in July 2021, where he met with then-Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Christopher F. Schuetze contributed to the report.