Ukrainian, German presidents meet in Kyiv

By Talha Yavuz

KYIV, Ukraine (AA) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday met with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the capital Kyiv.

Taking to Twitter after the meeting, Zelensky said the German leader's visit, which came at a time when Ukraine marks the 80th anniversary of the Babi Yar tragedy, is "very important".

The Babi Yar, a ravine in Kyiv, is where nearly 34,000 Jews were killed in 1941 when the city was under Nazi occupation.

According to a written statement by the Ukrainian presidency, Zelensky said during the meeting that Ukraine expects to improve bilateral relations with the new German government that will be formed after the recent elections.

The situation in Donbas, a region of fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists, was also on the agenda of the meeting, the statement said.

They discussed energy security issues as well, with Zelensky emphasizing that the opening of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline is a threat for Ukraine and Europe.