Global Courant 2023-05-14 15:10:31
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Berlin on Sunday on his first visit to the country since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s visit on Sunday comes as he seeks further arms supplies to help his country fend off the Russian invasion, and funds to rebuild what has been devastated by more than a year of devastating conflict.
A Luftwaffe jet flew Zelenskyy to the German capital from Rome, where he had met Pope Francis and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday.
On the eve of his arrival – which takes place under tight security – the German government announced a new package of military aid for Ukraine worth more than 2.7 billion euros ($3.97 billion Cdn), including tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition .
Critical hardware
“Already in Berlin. Weapons. Powerful package. Air defense. Reconstruction. EU. NATO. Security,” Zelenskyy tweeted on Sunday, in clear reference to the main priorities of his trip.
After initially hesitating to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons, Germany has become one of Ukraine’s largest suppliers of weapons, including Leopard 1 and 2 main battle tanks and the advanced IRIS-T SLM air defense system.
Modern Western hardware is considered crucial if Ukraine is to succeed in its planned counter-offensive against Russian forces. Zelenskyy first met with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s head of state, who was rejected by Kiev last year, apparently because of his previous close ties with Russia, which sent a chill through diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Germany.
Berlin’s Stauffenbergstrasse is closed on Sunday due to Zelenskyy’s visit. (J’rg Carstensen/dpa/The Associated Press)
Since then, both Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz have visited Ukraine to reassure Zelenskyy of their support for his country’s fight against the Russian invasion.
Announcing the new weapons package, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin would help Ukraine “for as long as it takes”.
After meeting with Scholz and other high-ranking officials at the chancery, the two leaders are expected to fly to the western city of Aachen for Zelenskyy to receive the International Charlemagne Prize which is due to him and the people of Ukraine promised.
The organizers say the prize recognizes that their resistance to the Russian invasion is a defense “not only of their country’s sovereignty and the lives of its citizens, but also of Europe and European values.”
While German leaders have spoken out strongly in support of Ukraine, German voters are divided over whether the country should provide more weapons, especially advanced fighter jets of the kind Kiev is asking its allies for.
