Merkel in Kyiv: a diplomatic weekend on 22 August 2021
A look back at the German chancellor's meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, which came as another high-profile visitor was already in the capital.
What did Kyiv's diplomatic calendar look like on 22 August 2021? It was dominated by the arrival of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who met President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Ukrainian capital.
The talks came at the end of a busy weekend. On 21 August 2021, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew had arrived in Kyiv for a three-day visit, during which he also met Zelensky. The president thus received two prominent foreign guests within about 24 hours.
The same day, 21 August 2021, saw the first presentation of the Presidential Distinction "National Legend of Ukraine". The award was given out for the first time, adding a ceremonial element to a weekend otherwise defined by visits.
Taken together, the events of 21 and 22 August 2021 placed the president at the centre of a concentrated series of meetings and public occasions in Kyiv. The Merkel visit was the final and most closely watched of them, and it took place while the Patriarch's visit was still under way.
