Ukraine counting on new German arms supplies as leaders meet in Kiev

Yahoo

10-05-2025

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, expects Chancellor Friedrich Merz to commit to sending new German arms shipments to the embattled country during his visit to Kiev on Saturday.
"I am sure of it," said the ambassador in response to a question after Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrived in Ukraine's capital. He did not elaborate.
The new conservative-led government in Berlin intends to keep German arms deliveries to Ukraine largely secret, according to informed circles.
The main aim is to "deny military advantages to the aggressor in the Ukraine war," a government source said on Friday evening.
Merz, Macron, Starmer and Tusk met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday morning to underscore their support for Kiev and push for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in the conflict with Russia.
Makeiev reiterated that unlike Moscow, Kiev was ready for such a pause in fighting, which was initially proposed by US President Donald Trump.
"We very much hope that we will enter into these negotiations from a position of strength," he said, expressing confidence that German-Ukrainian relations would be further expanded.
"I sense that the German-Ukrainian partnership with the federal government, the new federal government, will be raised to a whole new level."
During their stay in Kiev, the European leaders are also set to commemorate the victims of the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022.