Germany’s Scholz offers €1.4B in fresh military aid for Ukraine during Zelenskyy visit

BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced fresh military aid for Ukraine along with support for the country’s heavily-damaged energy infrastructure during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Berlin on Friday.
“Germany is the strongest military supporter of Ukraine in Europe,” said Scholz, receiving Zelenskyy at the tail end of the Ukrainian leader’s tour of European capitals this week. “It will stay that way,” added Scholz. “I can assure you of that.”
The military aid totaling €1.4 billion was cobbled together from various sources, including unused federal cash and international fundraising initiatives. Scholz said Friday that Belgium, Denmark and Norway had also helped provide the new aid.
The package will include Skynex air defense systems, Gepard anti-aircraft guns, tanks and wheeled howitzers along with armored vehicles, drones, radar systems and artillery shells, Scholz said.
Some €170 million in funding for Ukraine’s energy system has also been pledged, Scholz said.
Zelenskyy was in Berlin to present his victory plan to Scholz and to persuade him to provide further military aid, which the Ukrainian leader says is needed to help force the Kremlin into peace negotiations. Over the previous 24 hours, Zelenskyy had also met the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Italy, as well as NATO’s new secretary-general.
Ukrainian troops are under pressure from Russian forces who are inching forward despite astronomical casualties. Zelenskyy also wants to lock in military support ahead of November’s U.S. election, which could bring Donald Trump back to power.
U.S. President Joe Biden was also initially scheduled to visit Berlin this week and attend a planned summit of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base. But the White House postponed the trip due to Hurricane Milton.