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BERLIN — Germany will provide long-term military support and training to Ukraine “to fully restore” the country’s territorial integrity under an agreement signed between the leaders of both nations on Friday.
The 10-page security agreement commits Germany to not only support Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion “for as long as it takes,” but to also assist Kyiv “in building up modern, resilient armed forces to deter any future attack,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters at a press conference in Berlin.
Standing next to Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the details of the agreement “are very specific and involve long-term support,” which he claimed was a sign that Western allies understood that Ukraine will eventually become a NATO member.
“Ukraine will be in NATO, that’s clear to me,” Zelenskyy said.
The security deal also says that, should Ukraine ever be attacked again by Russia, Germany would support the country “with swift and sustained security assistance” including “modern military equipment across all domains.”
In addition to the security arrangement, Scholz also announced a new €1.1 billion military support package for Ukraine, which includes 36 self-propelled howitzers, 120,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, two Skynex air defense systems and additional missiles for the IRIS-T air defense system.
Scholz said that Germany’s total military assistance for Ukraine, including future pledges and support delivered via the EU, amounted to about €28 billion, making the country the second-biggest supporter of Kyiv behind the U.S.
Despite that, the future of Ukraine’s successful defense “also depends on the United States,” the chancellor said, as he urged the U.S. Congress to approve a new multibillion-dollar aid package for Kyiv.
Scholz also said that Germany was ramping up arms production to not only better support Ukraine but also ensure its own security.
“If we have to defend ourselves, we must be able to do so from our own resources,” he said. “What we’re doing now because of Ukraine is also an important commitment to our own security and future.”
