Germany, France and Poland promised on Friday to supply more weapons to Kyiv by stepping up the production of military equipment with their partners.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosted French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk for a summit titled “Weimar Triangle” of the three countries. The meeting took place as a presidential election is taking place in Russia.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he discussed Thursday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the support he needs today.
“He knows he can count on us and we are renewing this signal of support to Kyiv from today.” he declared after the meeting. “The Russian president must know that we will not relax our support for Ukraine”.
Kyiv’s forces are hoping that Ukraine’s Western partners will provide them with more military hardware, but in the meantime they are battling a larger, better-equipped Russian army that is putting heavy pressure on some points of the front line. in Ukraine.
More weapons for Kyiv
European Union plans to produce 1 million artillery shells for Ukraine have failed, while aid to Ukraine is being delayed in the United States due to political differences.
The German leader declared that “from now on we will buy even more weapons for Ukraine, on the entire world market“.
“Secondly, the production of military equipment will be developed, including through cooperation with partners in Ukraine.”, added Mr. Scholz. He also indicated that a new “coalition for long-range rocket artillery” would be put in place, in line with the commitment made at a conference in Paris last month.
Olaf Scholz did not provide details and the three leaders did not respond to questions. French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed France’s support for a plan to purchase ammunition and shells outside the European Union, initiated by the Czech Republic, but also did not give details.
“We want to spend our money, we want to help in any way we can ? here and now, so that the situation in Ukraine in the coming weeks and months improves and does not get worse” said Mr. Tusk.
“The moment is serious”, declared Mr. Macron. “A new era is dawning, and we will be there. And the fact that all three of us are united on this day, determined with the same lucidity on the situation in Ukraine and determined to never let Russia win and to support the Ukrainian people to the end, is a strength for us, for our people, for our security and for our Europe.“
Germany, France and Poland are among Ukraine’s main allies. Germany has become Ukraine’s second-largest provider of military aid after the United States and is stepping up its support this year, although Mr Scholz has been criticized for refusing to send long-range Taurus cruise missiles .
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The leaders’ remarks did not address differences between Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron after the French leader said at last month’s conference that sending Western ground troops should not be ruled out in the future.
the German Chancellor declared then that the participants had agreed that there would be no “no ground troops” on Ukrainian soil sent by European countries.
On Thursday, the French president declared that the current situation did not require sending ground troops.
Mr. Scholz’s spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, clarified on Friday that the chancellor had not changed his mind.
In Brussels, the EU executive on Friday allocated 500 million euros ($545 million) to a project aimed at reducing bottlenecks that slow the production of explosives and other materials used to make bomb shells. artillery intended for the European Union and its allies. The European Commission estimates that the plan will allow the industry to produce 1.7 million shells per year by the end of the year, and 2 million by the end of 2025.
