The Ukrainian President came on Sunday after talks in Rome for his first visit to Germany since the beginning of the invasion of Russia.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin, Paris Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky returns to Kiev with the promise of further military aid from Germany and France. In Berlin and Paris, Selenski insisted on the delivery of fighter jets again on Sunday. However, both Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and President Emmanuel Macron reacted cautiously.
According to the Élysée Palace, the French head of state wanted to comment on further military aid in a TV interview on Monday evening. Meanwhile, Selenski thanked Germany and France for their military support.
The Ukrainian President came on Sunday after talks in Rome for his first visit to Germany since the beginning of the invasion of Russia. In Berlin, Selenski met Chancellor Scholz, among others.
In the afternoon in Aachen, Selensky and the Ukrainian people were awarded the Charlemagne Prize for their services to European unity. Surprisingly, Zelensky then traveled on to Paris, where he met Macron – it was his second visit to France since the beginning of the war.
Whether the Ukrainian President would fly out that night or after an overnight stay in Paris was also left open for security reasons.
The issue of fighter jets
The subject of fighter jets is recurring, it was said from Paris, the question is probably a bit premature. Before you can deliver an airplane, you have to have trained pilots. The training takes a while – and the Ukrainian pilots were not trained on French models.
Scholz said on the issue of fighter jets that Germany had delivered a lot to Ukraine. Germany is concentrating on supporting the defensive struggle. After the USA, the Federal Republic is the second largest supporter of Ukraine.
France promises air defense systems
Germany is one of Ukraine’s most important supporters – both militarily and financially. Since the beginning of the war, the federal government has approved arms deliveries worth 2.75 billion euros.
Among other things, four air defense systems Iris-T SLM are to be provided by the German defense industry.
(Photo: dpa)
Zelenski’s visit was prepared in Germany with the promise of further military support worth an additional 2.7 billion euros. Among other things, 20 more Marder armored personnel carriers, 30 Leopard 1 tanks and four Iris-T SLM anti-aircraft systems are to be provided by the German defense industry.
France promised to supply dozens of armored vehicles and light tanks, as well as long-range air defense systems. In addition, thousands more Ukrainian soldiers are to be trained by France in the current year.
Zelensky thanks
Zelensky thanked Germany and France for their military support. “I thank President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the German people for the strong defense package, for their leadership in defending lives against Russian terror together with us,” Zelenski wrote on Twitter early Monday.
He was grateful to Macron and the entire French people “for the military support of our fighters, which helps in the fight against Russian terrorists”. “Together we bring peace closer to all Ukrainians and Europeans,” he wrote.
SPD leader Klingbeil: pushing ahead with Ukraine’s EU accession
SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil called for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union to be accelerated. “Of course, the same conditions apply to Ukrainian EU accession as to all other countries, but we should push this important issue forward,” Klingbeil told the editorial network Germany (Monday). Germany has a great responsibility in this regard. “We have the power to initiate and accelerate things in Europe.”
SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil called for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union to be accelerated.
(Photo: IMAGO/Eckhard Stengel)
Ukraine has officially been a candidate for EU membership since last summer. However, the 27 EU countries still have to decide unanimously on negotiations. Ukraine hopes to start concrete EU accession negotiations this year.
Reports of heavy artillery fire on Donetsk
The Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine apparently came under heavy artillery fire on Sunday. The city was hit by hundreds of artillery shells and projectiles from multiple rocket launchers, the Russian state agency TASS reported, citing local authorities. No information was given about the effects of the shelling. The representation could not be independently verified. Donetsk lies just behind the front lines in eastern Ukraine.
Kyiv: Attacks on Bakhmut continue
According to their own account, the Ukrainian troops made further gains in the area around the heavily contested town of Bakhmut. “Our units have taken more than ten enemy positions north and south of Bakhmut and cleared a large forest area near Ivanivske from the enemy,” Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar said on Telegram on Sunday. Russian soldiers were taken prisoner. Despite the Ukrainian successes, the situation near Bakhmut remains tense, as the Russian military is offering resolute resistance.
This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war:
In recent days, the Ukrainian military has recaptured large areas around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in counterattacks. Now there is a threat of encirclement of the Russian mercenary group Wagner deployed in the city.
That will be important on Monday
China’s special envoy Li Hui travels to Ukraine. It is the first time since the war began that China has sent a senior diplomat to the country under Russian attack. According to Beijing, Li will also visit Poland, Germany, France and Russia to discuss a political solution to the conflict.
More: Current news on the development of the Ukraine war can be found in our news blog