Germany pledges continued military aid to Ukraine

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged Wednesday to maintain robust military and financial support for Ukraine while encouraging German businesses to invest in the war-torn country's future, positioning it as a prospective EU member state.

Speaking at the 7th German-Ukrainian Economic Forum in Berlin, Scholz emphasized Germany's role as Ukraine's leading provider of air defense systems.

“We are Ukraine's biggest supporter of air defense and we want to stay that way. That saves lives,” Scholz declared, detailing plans to deliver additional military hardware.

The chancellor announced that Berlin will supply Kyiv with a sixth IRIS-T SLM system, additional Patriot system launchers, and more Gepard tanks by the year's end, building upon its existing contribution of five IRIS-T SLM systems, three Patriot systems, and over 50 Gepard tanks.

“Ukraine can rely on Germany. We say what we do and we do what we say,” Scholz assured during his address to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal and business leaders.

As Ukraine faces its third wartime winter since the Russian war broke out in 2022, Scholz emphasized the country's resilience.

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin has not achieved a single one of his war aims,” he stated. “Ukraine is defending itself heroically. The Ukrainian army is now much stronger than before the war, equipped with Western weapons.”

He also underlined that Ukraine would receive approximately $50 billion in loans through coordinated G7 and EU efforts, utilizing frozen Russian central bank assets.

The chancellor made a strong pitch to German business leaders, presenting investment in Ukraine as an opportunity to participate in the development of a future EU member state. Currently, about 2,000 German companies operate in Ukraine, with many planning to expand their investments despite the ongoing conflict.

“After the war, we will see growth rates and development opportunities in Ukraine that we have only seen in the Central and Eastern European countries that joined the EU in the last two decades,” Scholz predicted, drawing parallels to previous successful economic transitions in the region.

The forum, themed “Stronger together. Securing the future,” brought together key figures including Germany’s Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Development Minister Svenja Schulze, focusing on strengthening bilateral economic relations and supporting Ukraine's reconstruction efforts.

The event also featured presentations from leading German companies already operating in Ukraine, showcasing successful business partnerships despite wartime challenges.