Kiev/Berlin (Reuters) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced this Monday (2) 650 million euros ($685 million) in new military aid upon arriving in Kiev, promising that Berlin will remain Ukraine’s biggest supporter in Europe at a crucial moment in the war, with Donald Trump about to return to the White House.
The visit, his first to Kiev since the early months of the Russian invasion in 2022, comes weeks after the collapse of his coalition government, setting him up for a tough election battle in February.
Political turmoil in Europe’s largest economy adds to a growing sense of uncertainty in Ukraine, with Russian troops advancing faster and faster. It is unclear how much Kiev’s European allies might increase support for Ukraine if Trump reduces aid from their biggest backer.
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Scholz and President Volodymyr Zelensky met at an undisclosed location and reviewed military drones made by Ukrainian and German companies. They also visited a hospital and spoke to people injured in the war.
Scholz would later speak with Zelensky, whose government is calling on NATO to invite Ukraine to join the military alliance at a meeting in Brussels this week.
Although he claims that Germany is Ukraine’s second-largest arms supplier after the United States, Scholz has repeatedly refused to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, fearing that doing so could lead his country into direct conflict with Russia.
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He was also criticized by allies, including Zelensky himself, for holding a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in November for the first time in nearly two years, which critics saw as an attempt for domestic political gain.
“Germany will remain Ukraine’s strongest supporter in Europe,” Scholz wrote in Xadding that he would promise Zelensky “more military equipment worth 650 million euros” to be delivered this month.
The package includes IRIS-T air defense systems, Leopard 1 tanks and armed drones, a Defense Ministry spokesperson said.
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On Sunday, the new President of the European Council, António Costa, and the new European Union foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, visited Kiev on her first day in office to demonstrate the EU’s support.
Support for Ukraine is shaping up to be a major issue in Germany’s elections.
Friedrich Merz, the leader of the conservative opposition who is on track to oust Scholz, has said Germany should send Taurus missiles and, over the weekend, said Scholz was raising unnecessary fears.
