dpa
Kiev
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Kiev for the first time in two and a half years on Monday with a message of support from Berlin, pledging that “Germany will remain Ukraine’s strongest supporter in Europe.”
The German chancellor, who arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Monday morning after a nine-hour journey by special train, announced further arms deliveries worth ?650 million ($684 million) by the end of December to bolster Ukraine’s defence against Russia, including battle tanks, missiles, drones and air defence systems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who welcomed Scholz to Kiev, thanked Germany for its continued support. But Zelensky also saw two urgent Ukrainian requests - for an invitation to join the NATO alliance, and for deliveries of long-range German-made Taurus cruise missiles - remain unfulfilled.
Scholz instead dodged questions on Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, saying only that previous NATO resolutions had laid out a way toward eventual Ukrainian membership in the alliance.
At the 2023 and 2024 meetings referenced by Scholz, NATO countries only reaffirmed that Ukraine at some point should become a member of the Western defence alliance. NATO countries have not offered a concrete timeline or detailed conditions for Ukraine to join.
And the German chancellor yet again reiterated his refusal to send Taurus missiles at a joint press conference with Zelensky, stressing his contention that arming Ukraine with the long-range weapons risks an escalation with Russia.
Zelensky has placed renewed urgency on Ukraine’s bid to join NATO in recent weeks in light of Russian territorial gains in bloody fighting along the front.
On Sunday, Zelensky described a formal NATO invitation as “necessary for our survival,” but added that he is not particularly hopeful to receive one, citing scepticism in the US, Germany and Hungary as reasons.
Before holding talks, Scholz and Zelensky together visited wounded Ukrainian soldiers in Kiev, including some who had lost limbs in the fight against the ongoing Russian invasion. Zelensky awarded medals to individual soldiers during the visit.
Zelensky and Scholz also watched a presentation of drones used in Ukraine’s defensive campaign against Russia. Among the drones on display was a German-made model from the company Helsing, designed to strike Russian armoured vehicles in combat.
Another 4,000 of the drones are to be delivered to Ukraine over the next month.
The weapons package also includes two Iris-T air defence systems, 10 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks, 60 M84 and M80 infantry fighting vehicles, 6,000 unguided missiles and 500 guided missiles.
Scholz was officially received with military honours at St Sophia Cathedral in the centre of Kiev, an unusual gesture in times of war which has not been seen in recent visits by other foreign leaders.
The German chancellor greeted Ukrainian soldiers with “Slava Ukraini” (“Glory to Ukraine”), to which the honour guard responded with “Heroiam slava” (“Glory to the heroes”).
Following a private meeting between Scholz and Zelensky, the two leaders addressed the press in Kiev. Zelensky repeatedly expressed his gratitude for German support on Monday. But he also again aired frustration with Scholz’s decision to hold an hour-long phone conversation with Putin in mid-November.
