Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected in Berlin and Paris today in an attempt to secure more military aid and bilateral security commitments from Germany and France.
The trip comes as Ukrainian troops are struggle to hold back Russian forces closing in on the eastern town of Avdiivka, with Kyiv reporting a shortage of manpower and ammunition stockpiles as the war creeps towards its third year.
More aid from the EU was confirmed last week, but a major US-backed package has been held up for months by far-right Republicans looking to pile pressure on Joe Biden.
France and particularly Germany have proven two of Ukraine's strongest allies outside of Washington, and both countries have previously indicated a willingness to back Kyiv until the war is over.
