Germany, Ukraine sign security accord during Zelenskyy’s Berlin visit

BERLIN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday signed a key security agreement with Ukraine’s president, and announced a new military aid package, including howitzers and air defense systems.


Speaking at a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin, Scholz underlined that the security agreement marks another “historic step” in relations between Berlin and Kyiv.


“Germany will continue to support the independent Ukraine in its defense against Russian war of aggression, and we will do so, as long as it takes,” he said, adding that the agreement would ensure long-term military support to Ukrainian forces.


Scholz also announced a new €1.1 ($1.2 billion) military aid package, which he said would include howitzers, 120,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, two additional air defense systems, and missiles for IRIS-T systems.


Zelenskyy, for his part, thanked Germany for its support and said the agreement they have signed today bears a strong political message toward Russia.


“This is a very important bilateral agreement, but it's not only about the new direction in our cooperation, it goes beyond that,” he stressed.


“Aggressors, before they engage in their murderous attacks, should know that they're going to lose,” he said, adding that during his meeting with Scholz, they discussed how to increase pressure on the Kremlin.


Zelenskyy’s Berlin visit comes at a time of growing concerns in Kyiv about the sustainability of US military support for Ukraine, due to the election year and the likelihood of a second term for former President Donald Trump in the White House.


In recent weeks, Zelenskyy appealed to European allies for more support and warned that the Ukrainian army faces critical shortages of ammunition, especially artillery shells.


Germany is currently the second-largest supplier of weapons to Ukraine after the US.