14 May: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday, seeking more support from Berlin in the face of Russia’s invasion of his country.
Zelenskyy, who arrived in Germany late Saturday, was greeted with full military honors at the chancellery in Berlin. He and Scholz stood in silence as a military band played the Ukrainian and German national anthems before moving inside for discussions.
The Ukrainian leader thanked Germany for its recent military aid package worth more than €2.7 billion ($3 billion), which included 30 Leopard tanks, fighting vehicles, reconnaissance drones and four air defense systems.
He said he hoped for more cooperation on weapons, air defense, reconstruction, EU and NATO integration and security.
“We are grateful for Germany’s solidarity and assistance. But we need more. We need to strengthen our defense capabilities to deter further aggression from Russia,” Zelenskyy said at a joint press conference with Scholz.
Scholz reiterated Germany’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and called on Russia to respect the 2015 Minsk peace agreement and withdraw its troops from Ukrainian soil.
He also said Germany would continue to support Ukraine’s reforms and aspirations to join the EU and NATO.
“Ukraine is a European country and it has the right to decide its own future. We will stand by Ukraine’s side in this difficult time and help it achieve its goals,” Scholz said.
Zelenskyy also met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace earlier on Sunday. He was expected to travel to Aachen later in the day to receive the prestigious Charlemagne Prize on behalf of the Ukrainian people for their contribution to European unification.
The prize ceremony was attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who praised Ukraine’s resilience and courage in defending its democracy and values.
Zelenskyy’s visit to Germany was his ninth foreign trip since Russia launched its full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He has also visited the United States, Poland, Britain, France, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands and Italy.