BERLIN, December 2. /TASS/. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit to Kiev was planned prior to the collapse of the ruling coalition in Germany in early November; the main purpose of the trip is to understand what Vladimir Zelensky is prepared to do to settle the conflict in Ukraine, the Bild newspaper reported, quoting sources in Scholz's entourage.

According to the publication, Scholz had firmly planned to visit Ukraine after the US election and before Donald Trump assumes office as US president. He wants to show that, despite the collapse of the coalition and the early parliamentary elections, he remains the incumbent chancellor of Germany and is ready to engage in significant political negotiations, the newspaper said.

Bild noted that Scholz had previously stated multiple times that no decision "should be made behind the Ukrainians' backs." The chancellor is reportedly aiming to strengthen Kiev's position in the event that Trump pushes for negotiations to resolve the conflict. Earlier on Monday, Scholz arrived in Kiev for an unannounced visit, his first in two and a half years. The German leader is set to meet with Zelensky and stated on his X account that he would inform the president about Berlin's plans to supply Ukraine with €650 million in arms in December.