Germany and Ukraine sign new defence act, agree aid worth €1.1bn

Germany has signed a long-term security pact with Ukraine and pledged additional weapons worth around €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) for its defence against Russia.

The weapons package includes 36 howitzers, 120,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, two additional air defence systems and Iris-T rockets German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin.

The aid is a clear show of support from Berlin as Kiev prepares for a third year of war with Russia.

Scholz spoke of an "historic" step. With the agreeement, Germany assures Ukraine that it will be supported for as long as necessary. "The important thing is: (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has not achieved any of his goals," Scholz asserted.

The Ukrainian armed forces, on the other hand, were able to liberate more than half the areas occupied by Russian troops, he added.

Relations between Germany and Ukraine had "reached a completely new quality" in the past two years since the Russian invasion, Scholz emphasized.

The security agreement goes back to a decision by NATO heads of state and government at their summit in Vilnius, Lithuania last July. It was agreed there that the individual member states would conclude bilateral agreements to ensure Ukraine's long-term security. Britain started the process by reaching an agreement with Kiev in January.

Zelensky has been pressing Western allies for desperately needed weapons and military equipment to fight Russia's invasion.

Zelensky was to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday evening where they were due to sign a similar French-Ukrainian agreement.

"We need this right now," Zelensky said as he thanked Scholz. "German support is vital for us, for our fighters on the front line."

The Ukrainian leader's visit - his third to Germany since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an all-out invasion on February 24, 2022 - comes at a precarious moment for his country.

After months of wrangling, earlier this week the U.S. Senate approved $60 billion in aid for Kiev. But support for Ukraine has eroded among many conservatives and it is not clear that the measure will get through the Republican-led House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's battlefield momentum has been stalled for months and Zelensky recently replaced much of the military leadership in the most significant shake-up since the war began.

On Friday, there were signs that Russia could soon seize Ukraine's key eastern town of Avdiivka.

Scholz said his government's latest military aid pledge showed that Germany will continue to support Ukraine for "as long as it takes."

Germany has so far provided around €7.1 billion in military support for Ukraine in 2024 and pledged €6 billion in commitments for subsequent years.

Scholz said that, in total, Germany has pledged or provided around €28 billion in various aid to Ukraine.

From Paris, Zelensky will travel to Munich, where he will appear on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference.

Further bilateral meetings are planned there, for example with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Ukrainian president opened the most important meeting of politicians and experts on security policy last year via video address.

He is now attending in person for the first time since the Russian invasion almost exactly two years ago.