Zelenskyy in Berlin: Germany pledges air defense, long-range weapons and ammunition in new aid packages

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Berlin on 14 April for an official visit and bilateral consultations with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to a statement from presidential spokesperson Serhiy Nykyfоrov. The meeting began at 11:45 Kyiv time. By the afternoon, the two sides had signed defense cooperation agreements between the two states, followed by a joint press conference at 13:10 and a plenary session of intergovernmental consultations scheduled for 13:55–15:00, Suspilne reported from the scene.

New aid packages: air defense, long-range weapons, drones, ammunition

At the joint press conference, Merz stated that Germany had provided "unprecedented support to Ukraine" and described his country as Ukraine's most important partner in 2026. He confirmed that the two sides had reached new agreements.

"Today we again agreed on new aid packages, primarily in air defense," Merz said, according to Ukrainska Pravda.

He added that the packages extend beyond air defense to cover long-range weapons, drones and ammunition.

Taurus off the table

On Taurus cruise missiles — a persistent point of contention in German defense debate — Merz held to his earlier position, stating he no longer sees the need to supply Ukraine with the long-range systems given Kyiv's technological progress on the battlefield. The Greens had pushed back ahead of the visit: party co-chair Franziska Brantner had called for strengthened air defense support and Taurus transfers in January 2026, as Russian strikes intensified, and Greens representatives publicly criticized Merz's justification for withholding the missiles before Zelenskyy's arrival.

In May 2025, the defense ministers of Germany and Ukraine had signed an agreement in Berlin on financing Ukrainian-produced long-range weapons.