Zelensky to sign security agreements with Germany, France as Kyiv shores up support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is poised to solidify bilateral security agreements with Germany and France on Friday, marking a significant move by Kyiv to bolster Western backing nearly two years after Russia launched its full-scale war.

The forthcoming engagements will see the Ukrainian leader holding discussions with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, followed by a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. These agreements are a direct outcome of commitments made within the G7 framework during the NATO summit in July 2023, as affirmed by Macron’s office on Thursday.

These bilateral security pacts, alongside the recently inked agreement with the UK during British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s visit to Kyiv last month, underscore Ukraine’s concerted efforts to fortify its defense posture over the next decade.

Zelensky’s diplomatic agenda extends to the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, where he is slated to confer with US Vice President Kamala Harris among other senior security and foreign policy officials. Despite facing challenges, Ukraine has sustained its operations along the 1,500-kilometre front line, albeit hindered by ammunition shortages and manpower deficits.

However, the situation on the eastern front lines has become increasingly dire due to ammunition scarcities and intensified Russian assaults. Notably, Ukraine’s Third Assault Brigade, renowned for its size and equipment, has been urgently redeployed to Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast, with reports describing the conditions as “hellish” and “extremely critical”.

In parallel efforts, European allies have lobbied the US Congress to greenlight a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine, primarily earmarked for American defense companies to ramp up production of missiles, ammunition, and other military essentials destined for Ukrainian battlegrounds. Chancellor Scholz’s recent visit to Washington underscored the urgency of releasing these funds, with him emphasizing the pivotal role of US support in Ukraine’s defense capabilities. As Germany emerges as the second-largest military aid contributor to Ukraine after the US, Scholz has called upon fellow European nations to escalate their arms provisions.

Zelensky’s forthcoming visits to Berlin and Paris mark crucial milestones in Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to garner international support amidst the protracted conflict initiated by Russia’s incursion in February 2022. This trip to Berlin will be Zelensky’s third since the invasion, following prior visits to Paris in February and May 2023.