Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Berlin tomorrow, they confirmed a while ago German government sources.

Unclear however, it remains to be seen whether Mr Zelenskiy will arrive in the German capital tonight, while no information has been given on the schedule of his visit and meetings.

The upcoming visit will be the first of the Ukrainian president in Germany since the beginning of the war and the agenda of his contacts is expected to include the need for delivery of military equipment to the Ukrainian armed forces and the promotion of Ukraine’s candidacy for membership in the European Union and NATO.

Tomorrow night Volodymyr Zelensky is going to receive, probably in person, the award “Charlemagne” in the name of the Ukrainian people, in a ceremony which will take place in the town hall of Aachen, in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Mr. Zelensky is today in Romewhile in the previous weeks he visited London, Paris, Brussels, Warsaw, Helsinki and The Hague.

In Berlin, Brandenburg and ‘Aachen they are taken extremely strict security measures, as the Ukrainian president is considered “one of the most threatened heads of state in the world and is a key target for Moscow’s leadership,” according to German media, citing police sources. It is characteristic that, according to Tagesspiegel, a stricter protocol is applied even than that applied to visits by US presidents or officials from Israel.

The planning of the Ukrainian president’s visit was initially leaked two weeks ago by the Berlin police. A newspaper in the capital published details of his arrival, which was to take place tonight, as well as the hotel he was to stay in, his schedule of meetings and even his helicopter flight to Aachen. The leak sparked strong reactions from Kiev and led to an internal investigation by authorities in Berlin. “The reputation of Berlin’s police has been damaged nationally and internationally,” admitted the capital’s police chief, Barbara Slovik, who ordered an internal investigation. From the side of the federal government it had then become clear that “if there is a visit, it will be announced at the last minute”.