Ukraine forges defence ties with Germany, as Berlin assures EU Support

Merz greeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warmly outside the Chancellery in central Berlin ahead of the first official German-Ukrainian government consultations in years.

Merz and Zelensky signed a defence cooperation agreement and a memorandum on industrial reconstruction and resilience during the meeting, which had been kept under wraps for security reasons.

Bilateral relations would be elevated to the level of a strategic partnership, Merz announced during a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart.

"What we are doing in this cooperation is not only beneficial for the defence of Ukraine. It is also of particular benefit to us, for our security," Merz said.

The chancellor also reaffirmed Germany's support for Ukraine's future EU membership, while acknowledging that accession is unlikely in the short term.

Merz said Germany is urging Ukraine to continue reforms, particularly in anti-corruption efforts and strengthening the rule of law.

Defence sector cooperation strengthens Europe

The two sides signed agreements to expand cooperation in areas including air defence, long-range weapons, drones and artillery ammunition.

"No army in Europe has been tested in combat over the past decades as much as Ukraine's ... No defence industry has become more innovative than Ukraine's," Merz said.

"With our support, we are thereby strengthening both German and European defence capabilities and our industrial base," Merz said.

Zelensky thanked Merz for his support and reiterated his desire for full bloc membership. He added that both the European Union and NATO also needed Ukraine as a "full-fledged partner".

Hungary must quickly unblock €90 billion in EU aid for Ukraine

Following the election defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Merz called for the swift release of a €90 billion ($105 billion) EU loan for Ukraine, which had previously been blocked by Budapest.

"The funds for military support must now be disbursed quickly," Merz said, adding that Ukraine will then be able to fund its defence in the long term. "Russia should take this seriously."

Zelensky said Ukraine could significantly expand weapons production if sufficient funding were made available.

"The majority of the weapons Ukraine uses for various operations – from strikes against targets in the hinterland and fighting on the front line to air defence – are now manufactured in Ukraine," Zelensky said.

EU officials have expressed hope that Hungary will approve the funding following Orbán's defeat in Sunday's elections, which ended his 16 years in power.

Election winner Péter Magyar has pledged to act as a "reliable partner" in the EU following his party's overwhelming victory.

Germany to fund hundreds of Patriot missiles for Ukraine

One of the agreements announced includes a German-financed contract between Ukraine and US defence contractor Raytheon for the delivery of several hundred Patriot missiles, the Defence Ministry in Berlin said after the consultations with Kiev ended.

It also said an agreement had been reached with German defence firm Diehl Defence to supply additional launchers for the Iris-T air defence system.

"These projects will be funded by Germany and will significantly improve the protection of critical infrastructure and cities," the ministry said.

Germany and Ukraine also agreed to jointly develop medium- and long-range drones through a planned joint venture aimed at producing thousands of systems.

In addition, Berlin will support Ukraine in financing so-called deep-strike capabilities, referring to long-range precision weapons.

The Defence Ministry said the investment would amount to several hundred million euros.

Merz: European role essential in Ukraine peace talks

Merz reiterated that Germany and Europe must be included in any peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, saying no deal can be reached without European involvement.

"I remain firmly convinced that there will be no agreements with Russia made over the heads of the Europeans," Merz said.

Zelensky, according to an official translation, said Ukraine has consistently maintained that Europe must be involved in any peace process but accused Russia of continuing to seek reasons to prolong the war.

US-mediated negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have stalled for months as the war which Moscow launched more than four years ago rages on.