FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a press briefing following phone calls with U.S. President Donald Trump, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will travel to Berlin on Wednesday to join German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for a video call with U.S. President Donald Trump, a government source told Reuters.

The Bild newspaper first reported on the visit, which comes as Merz hosts meetings ahead of Trump's planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska.

Merz's talks on Wednesday will also involve the leaders of Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland and the European Union, as well as NATO.

Ukraine hopes the meeting will serve - at least partially - as a European counterweight to the summit in Alaska, as Zelenskiy and his backers try to drive home the perils of selling out Kyiv's interests in pursuit of a ceasefire.

(Reporting by Kirsti Knolle, Writing by Rachel More, Editing by Miranda Murray)