Germany will not be intimidated into dropping its support for Ukraine, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday as he announced a further €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in military aid during a visit to Kyiv marked by Russian drone attacks, APA reports citing Reuters.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Zelenskiy, Merz said Moscow was trying to break the morale of the Ukrainian people, and announced €350 million for repairs in the energy sector. He said Germany remained Ukraine's strongest backer.
"We do this not only to protect Ukraine's territorial integrity; we do it deeply in our own interest, for it is a matter of Europe's security," Merz said, noting that Russia was carrying out cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns that struck at Europe's democratic order.
"This demonstrates that we will not be intimidated," he said.
German officials said executives from companies, who travelled with Merz, had signed 14 agreements with the Ukrainian government and businesses worth roughly €6.6 billion.
Among those deals, Ukraine inked an agreement with Germany's Diehl Defence for the supply of IRIS-T air defence missiles, as well as a deal for radar equipment with Hensoldt and for jet drone interceptors with Quantum Systems.
"What is important in this visit is that not only Germany is helping Ukraine, but Ukraine is sharing its knowledge, experience, as well as orders," Zelenskiy said. "These are jobs for Germany."
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