By KYIV. Nov 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) – President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, who visited Ukraine, the press service of the head of state reported.
Zelenskyy noted the importance of the visit of the head of the German defense ministry to Kyiv on the 10th anniversary of the start of the Revolution of Dignity. “This is a historically important day for Ukraine and Europe. Thank you for being with us on this day,” he said.
Zelenskyy thanked Germany for the significant defense support for Ukraine and the decision to provide another aid package worth EUR 1.3 billion. The head of state also highly appreciated the role of Chancellor Olaf Scholz in mobilizing international support for Ukraine and strengthening the protection of Ukrainian skies before the winter period.
“The interlocutors discussed the priority needs of Ukrainian defenders, in particular, in the context of ensuring the protection of the alternative Black Sea grain corridor,” the press service said.
Further practical steps to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capability with the support of Germany were also discussed, in particular regarding the transfer of air defense systems, armored vehicles, artillery and ammunition.
The parties paid special attention to the prospects for strengthening cooperation in the field of defense industries and the possibility of creating joint production of certain types of weapons.
Zelenskyy highlighted the importance of the recent start of negotiations with Germany on concluding a bilateral agreement regarding security guarantees for Ukraine.
During the meeting, an exchange of views on bilateral political dialogue for the near future also took place.
