German chancellor vows continued support for Ukraine

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday during the Munich Security Conference, reaffirming Germany's military and economic support for the war-torn country.

According to German government sources, the meeting focused on the current war situation and the latest developments in the US-led peace talks to end the conflict with Russia. The leaders also discussed current questions of arms cooperation and civilian aid for Ukraine.

Merz emphasized that Ukraine can continue to count on Berlin as its largest supporter, and stressed that Germany would continue to be a "reliable partner," the sources said.

Following the bilateral meeting, partners of Ukraine gathered in the so-called "Berlin Format" to coordinate support efforts. The group agreed on a new initiative for energy assistance to Ukraine to mitigate the consequences of ongoing Russian airstrikes against civilian infrastructure.

In what was described as an open and constructive exchange, participants discussed concrete steps in joint crisis management and arms support.

The Berlin Format meeting included leaders from France, Finland, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, the UK and the Netherlands, as well as the heads of NATO, the EU Council and EU Commission, and the foreign ministers of Italy and Canada.

The gathering comes as Ukraine faces continued Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure during the winter months, creating urgent humanitarian needs for millions of civilians.