President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed Germany as a “true friend and reliable ally” after announcing 2.7 billion euros in additional military aid to Ukraine and building an arms factory in the country.
Zelensky’s visit to Germany on Sunday, his first since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, marked a marked improvement in bilateral relations after Kiev accused Germany of hesitating to support Ukraine at the start of the war.
A day after visiting Rome to meet Italian leaders and Pope Francis, Zelensky met with German Chancellor Olaf Schulz, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and other officials.
Germany, which decided in January to send its Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, announced on Saturday that it would provide the country with additional weapons worth 2.7 billion euros. According to the German Ministry of Defense, since 2022, Berlin has provided 4.2 billion euros in military aid.
German heavy weapons maker Rheinmetall announced on Saturday that it will build a factory in Ukraine to repair and service tanks in a joint venture with state defense group Ukroboronprom.
The deliveries will include 18 self-propelled howitzers, 4 IRIS-T SLM air defense systems, 30 vintage Leopard 1 main battle tanks and 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, as well as artillery ammunition. In a tweet, Zelensky called the deal “the largest military aid package since Russia’s full-scale invasion” and said German equipment “is saving Ukrainian lives and bringing us closer to victory.”
Mirroring the improvement in relations between the two countries, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Germany would do “whatever it takes” to help to end “Russia’s war on the Ukrainian people”. Last April, Steinmeier called off a visit to Ukraine after admitting he was not welcome, although the German president did meet with the Ukrainian president in Kiev in October.
Armin Papperger, Rheinmetall’s chief executive, said on Saturday that the German arms maker would “jointly produce selected Rheinmetall products in Ukraine” with Ukroboronprom.
On Sunday afternoon, Zelensky and Schulz traveled to the western German city of Aachen, where the Ukrainian president and his country’s people will receive an award for their achievements in promoting European unity.
Zelensky’s overnight flight to Berlin came as Russian troops carried out an airstrike on Ternopil, home of electronic music duo Tvorchi, who were representing Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest final. Last year’s Eurovision Song Contest was won by Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra, and this year’s Eurovision Song Contest was held in Liverpool, England, rather than Ukraine due to safety concerns.
Zelensky arrived in Berlin after a trip to Rome, where he met Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who said Rome supported Kiev’s own 10-point peace plan.
Italy, which signed a joint statement with Zelensky in support of Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO military alliances, has provided Ukraine with around 1 billion euros in military and humanitarian aid since the start of the conflict, including the Samp-T air defense system. “We’re betting on Ukraine’s victory,” Meloni said at a news conference with Zelensky.
Zelensky met with Pope Francis, who has been criticized by some Ukrainians for his reluctance to explicitly condemn Russia’s all-out invasion. Pope Francis surprised many when he told reporters in early May that he was involved in a secret “peace mission” that both Kiev and Moscow said they knew nothing about.
Zelensky said he appreciated the pope’s attention to America’s plight. More than 19,000 Ukrainian children Speaking of Russia, he also called on Pope Francis to hold Russia accountable and backed a 10-point peace plan for Ukraine. Earlier this year, the International Criminal Court announced an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.
“There can be no equality between victim and aggressor,” Ukraine’s president said. “I also spoke about our peace formula as the only valid algorithm for a just peace. I propose to join in its implementation.”
Additional reporting by Giuliana Ricozzi in Rome