In a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave Ukraine the assurance that its foreign allies will work closely with it on military assistance, a government spokesman said on Thursday.
The conversation was held in advance of Friday’s scheduled meetings in Berlin with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Scholz to discuss help for Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia for a little over two years.
“The Chancellor and Ukrainian President agreed to continue their constructive dialogue, also with a view to global support for a peace solution, and to remain in close contact,” said the German spokesperson in a statement.
They spoke about defense cooperation, Zelenskyy said, and he had praised Germany for cooperating with Czech attempts to get artillery ammunition for Ukraine, which will yield new rounds by June.
Talking about his conversation on X, Zelenskyy wrote, “I informed the Federal Chancellor about the priority needs of Ukrainian defenders: armored vehicles, artillery, and air defense.”
Scholz has so far rejected requests to arm Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles, claiming that doing so would need German soldiers, which may escalate the fight on a global scale.
Zelenskyy stated that prior to the three-way meeting in Berlin on Friday, he and Scholz had coordinated views. The negotiations come amid hostilities between France and Germany following remarks made by Macron in which he hinted at the possibility of sending ground forces into Ukraine.
