Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to reach a similar deal with France later on Friday. (document)
Berlin:
Ukrainian President Zelensky signed a security deal with Germany in Berlin on Friday, with Prime Minister Olaf Scholz hailing it as a “historic step” that bolsters Kiev’s fierce battle with Russia.
Zelensky will also seek to reach a similar deal with France later on Friday to provide more help to his troops as they work to thwart a Russian attack on the frontline city of Avdievka.
As the war in Ukraine approaches its third year, the president will renew his call for continued help in financing and armaments at the Munich Security Conference, where leaders including Vice President Kamala Harris are gathering.
Zelensky’s trip to Europe comes at a critical time, as Ukraine faces growing pressure on its eastern front due to ammunition shortages and renewed Russian attacks.
Fierce fighting has taken place around besieged Avdievka on the eastern front, which has emerged as a key Russian target ahead of the anniversary of the invasion on February 24.
At the same time, the long-term prospects of billions of dollars in Western aid are also in doubt, with the United States, the largest donor, in the throes of an election year.
A potential $60 billion military aid package has been stalled in Washington since last year amid wrangling in Congress.
The EU also admitted it could only deliver half of the one million rounds it had pledged to send by March.
But Scholz stressed that the security agreement signed on Friday showed that Germany would not “relax” its support for Ukraine. He also announced a new package of immediate military support worth 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion).
Scholz said: “This document… shows that Germany will continue to help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks. I have always said: as long as necessary.” He also called the signing of the agreement “a historic step” “.
The agreement supports the creation of a modern military in postwar Ukraine to defend against further Russian attacks in the future.
“Our security agreement is a truly unprecedented bilateral document,” Zelensky said.
The French president confirmed that the security deal would be signed on Friday evening, but did not provide any specifics.
war fatigue
Last July, G7 countries proposed plans to provide long-term defense support to Ukraine during a NATO summit. However, alliance leaders have failed to set a timetable for Ukraine to join the EU.
The first agreement was signed with Britain during Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s visit to Kiev in January.
Zelensky is seeking to escape the war fatigue plaguing his allies.
Speaking at the Munich conference, Harris said President Joe Biden’s administration “will work to secure critical weapons and resources that Ukraine desperately needs.”
She said on the eve of bilateral talks with Zelensky that abandoning Kyiv would be “a gift to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin.”
Ukraine was once the main conflict of concern to world leaders, but Israel’s war with Hamas and the subsequent escalating crises in the Middle East now also require urgent attention.
These two conflicts dominated the Munich Conference both on and off the stage.
Middle East takes center stage
Among the 180 dignitaries attending the meeting were Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and Jordanian King Abdullah II.
The United States and a small group of Middle Eastern countries could use the opportunity to pitch the idea of a long-term peace between Israel and the Palestinians while their European counterparts look on, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Mediators are also now racing to reach a ground truce and release hostages before a full-scale Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city of Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians are trapped.
According to AFP statistics based on official Israeli data, Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel on October 7, killing about 1,160 people, most of whom were civilians. It is believed that about 130 hostages are still in Gaza.
At least 28,775 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Palestinian territories, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
