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BERLIN (AP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was welcomed with military honors by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday during his first visit to Germany since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
President Zelensky is visiting allies seeking more weapons to fend off Russian aggression and funds to rebuild areas ravaged by a devastating conflict that has lasted more than a year.
President Zelensky flew in a Luftwaffe jet from Rome to the German capital, where he met with Pope Francis and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday..
The night before his arrival, under heavy security, the German government announced a new military aid package for Ukraine. The total value, including tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition, is more than €2.7 billion ($3 billion).
“Already in Berlin. Weapons. Strong package. Air defense. Reconstruction. EU. NATO. Security,” Zelensky tweeted on Sunday, clearly referring to the key priorities of his visit.
At first, he hesitated to provide weapons to Ukraine,Germany became one of the largest arms suppliers To Ukraine, including Leopard 1 and 2 tanks, the sophisticated IRIS-T SLM air defense system. State-of-the-art Western equipment is considered crucial to Ukraine’s success in planning a counterattack against Russian forces.
President Zelensky met for the first time with the German head of state, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was ignored by Kiev last year.caused a chill in diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Germany, apparently over the past close ties with Russia.
Since then, Steinmeier and Prime Minister Olaf Scholz have visited Ukraine., assured President Zelensky of his support for his country’s fight against Russian aggression. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in announcing the new weapons package that Berlin would support Ukraine “as long as it is necessary”.
After meeting Mr Scholz and other senior officials at the prime minister’s office, the two leaders will fly to the western city of Aachen to receive the International Charlemagne Prize, which is awarded to Mr Zelensky and the people of Ukraine..
Organizers say the award recognizes their resistance to Russian aggression as defending “not only the sovereignty of their country and the lives of their people, but also Europe and European values.”
German leaders have expressed strong support for Ukraine, but the question of whether the country should provide more weapons, especially advanced fighter jets like those Kiev is seeking from its allies, is questionable. Voters are divided.
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Follow AP coverage of the Ukraine war: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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