German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Reem Alabali-Radovan (foreground, R) and the Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Oleksii Sobolev (foreground, L) shake hands after signing an agreement as (background, from R) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukraine's Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov look on, at the Chancellery in Berlin on April 14, 2026 during German-Ukrainian government consultations. The meeting comes as US-initiated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled, with Kyiv baulking at the idea it could cede territory to Russia. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP via Getty Images)