Before the talks, which will take place at the chancellor's official retreat, Schloss Meseberg, Putin and Merkel are expected to outline the scope of issues that will be raised at the summit and make press statements.
The leaders will focus on the Ukrainian crisis, since both Russia and Germany were already cooperating within the Normandy Four settlement format alongside Ukraine and France.
"The number of problems we deal with, from Ukraine to Syria, the issue of our cooperation in the economic sector is so diverse that it justifies a constant dialogue," Merkel told a press conference, noting that she wanted to continue this dialogue during her talks with Putin.
Putin and Merkel will also exchange views on a possible summit on the Syrian crisis between Germany, France, Russia and Turkey. According to the Kremlin, the leaders are unlikely to touch upon the issue of possible financial support for Turkey, which currently hosts a large number of displaced Syrian nationals.
The US and EU sanctions against Russia may also be discussed, as well as the US sanctions on Iran, which both Moscow and Berlin opposed as parties to the Iran nuclear deal.