Scholz: Berlin, Kyiv close to agreeing on security assurances

On 12 January in Kyiv, Ukraine, and the UK signed a bilateral agreement focusing on military cooperation and security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of another Russian attack. Ukraine was also engaging in negotiations for similar agreements with over a dozen countries, including the US, Canada, and France.

Chancellor Scholz assured on behalf of Germany that Berlin will support Ukraine for as long as it takes, citing the existential threat to Ukraine’s sovereignty from the Russian war, underscored by President Putin’s overtly imperialist rhetoric.

Scholz refuted the notion that the war’s persistence is due to a lack of dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow, reminding that over 200 meetings had occurred under the Minsk agreements and the Normandy format before 24 February 2022, yet Russia still launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“No country seeks peace as much as Ukraine. But two years into this war, we must admit that there is no easy solution in sight,” Scholz said.

Read also:

• UK security deal with Ukraine: Budapest Memorandum 2.0 or road to NATO?
• Reuters: France to send long-range missiles to Ukraine, Macron to finalize security deal in Kyiv 
• Ukraine launches security guarantee talks with Romania
• Ukraine is negotiating security agreements with six more countries after the UK
• A security agreement with the UK is bilateral. Ukraine will also assist if the UK faces any future aggression—Prime Minister