This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Angela Merkel has blamed dehydration after she started to visibly shake in the hot Berlin sun while welcoming the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to the German capital.

As a military band played the two countries’ national anthems, the chancellor’s whole body visibly shook and she pursed her lips as she tried to contain the situation.

However, she grinned widely when later asked by reporters about her condition during the red-carpet reception for Zelenskiy.

“Since then I’ve drunk at least three glasses of water, which I apparently needed, and now I’m doing very well,” she said at a press conference.

Merkel had walked quickly inside with Zelenskiy after the anthems, pausing to greet the military band and take a salute.

She told reporters at a joint news conference that they had discussed bilateral issues and the Minsk peace process.

Merkel turns 65 next month. It is not known if the German chancellor has any health issues.