German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a long-term security cooperation deal as Ukraine\u2019s worsening artillery shortage threatens to force a further rationing of shells.<\/p>\n
The agreement sealed Friday at the chancellery in Berlin \u2014 the first time Germany has taken on the role of a guarantor state \u2014 is designed to deter Russia from future aggression against its western neighbor after the current war ends.<\/p>\n
Under an initiative launched by the Group of Seven nations last year, Zelenskyy agreed a similar accord with the U.K. last month and will sign another with French President Emmanuel Macron later in Paris.<\/p>\n
Scholz, who also announced a new package of air-defense and artillery systems for Ukraine worth about \u20ac1.1 billion ($1.2 billion), said the security accord and the latest military assistance send \u201ca crystal clear message\u201d to Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not back down in our support for Ukraine,\u201d the German leader told reporters. Zelenskyy said that Germany\u2019s latest shipment of arms \u2014 particularly the artillery \u2014 would start to reach the front \u201cvery soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately we have a tangible decline in supplies from partners and German support in this situation is vitally important for Ukraine and our soldiers,\u201d he said. He called the deal with Germany one of the most powerful security commitments Kyiv has obtained so far.<\/p>\n
Zelenskyy is on the first leg of his latest trip to shore up support for Ukraine\u2019s defense against Russia\u2019s invasion. After meeting with Macron in the French capital, he\u2019ll then travel back to Germany for the Munich Security Conference, where he\u2019ll hold a series of bilateral meetings with global leaders.<\/p>\n
The agreement with Germany was signed as the news broke that Alexey Navalny, the Russian anti-corruption activist and vocal Putin opponent, had died in prison.<\/p>\n
Zelenskyy and his military commanders have blamed the failure of last year\u2019s counteroffensive on a dearth of sufficient materiel from Western allies.<\/p>\n
Ukraine\u2019s lack of artillery capability could become so critical in the next two to three months that the country may have to decide where to focus a narrower effort along the war front, according to people familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n
That could open the door to Russian advances later this year. Ukraine is effectively already having to ration its artillery as allied ammunition supplies have fallen short. Bloomberg reported last month that Kyiv told its allies that it was facing a critical shortage and was outgunned by Russia three-to-one.<\/p>\n
Additional U.S. assistance remains deadlocked in Congress amid a domestic fight over immigration and border policy. Although the U.S. Senate this week approved funding, the legislation faces considerable obstacles in the Republican-controlled House.<\/p>\n
At the same time, former President Donald Trump is considering scaled-back commitments to some NATO members and pushing Ukraine to negotiate an end to the war if he returns to office after this year\u2019s election.<\/p>\n
Ukraine would need as much as double the military support from the European Union to bridge the gap if more U.S. assistance failed to materialize, according to estimates published Friday by Germany\u2019s Kiel Institute.<\/p>\n
Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said the effort to keep sufficient supplies flowing to Ukraine is getting more difficult as \u201cRussia has transitioned to war economy mode and they really scaled up their side of ammunition.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very committed to give Ukraine all the ammunition it needs but need to start on the side of the production capacity,\u201d Ollongren told reporters ahead of the Munich meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to do more,\u201d she added. \u201cWe\u2019re really trying everything and still it\u2019s not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zelenskyy is due to discuss \u201cUkraine in the World\u201d in a conversation on stage in Munich with CNN\u2019s Christiane Armanpour at 9:30 a.m. in the Bavarian capital on Saturday.<\/p>\n
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(\u2014With assistance from Daryna Krasnolutska, Natalia Drozdiak, Ellen Milligan, John Bowker, Kateryna Chursina and Patrick Donahue.)<\/p>\n
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