German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a surprise visit to war-torn Ukraine on Monday to reaffirm Berlin’s support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia.
His visit comes as Ukrainian forces are losing ground on the frontline and amid fears about future US support once Donald Trump returns to the White House in January.
Ukraine faces a tough winter ahead, with Russia unleashing devastating barrages against its power grid.
Scholz pledged additional military support worth 650 million euros ($680 million) to be delivered before the end of the year by Europe’s biggest supplier of defence goods to Ukraine.
“I travelled to Kyiv tonight: by train through a country that has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for over 1,000 days,” Scholz said in a post on X.
It was his second Ukraine visit since Russia launched its invasion in early 2022.
“With my renewed visit here in Kyiv, I would like to express my solidarity with Ukraine,” said Scholz, who faces new elections in February after his coalition collapsed last month.
“I would like to make it clear here on the ground that Germany will remain Ukraine’s strongest supporter in Europe.”
He said that in his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, he would announce further military equipment worth 650 million euros, to be delivered in December.
“Ukraine can rely on Germany — we say what we do. And we do what we say.”
