President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the newly appointed Federal Minister of Defense of Germany Boris Pistorius, who is on a visit to Ukraine.
Welcoming the German Defense Minister in Kyiv, the Head of State thanked him for the fact that his first foreign visit is to Ukraine. "Thank you for this signal of support for Ukraine," he said.
The President commended the solidarity and comprehensive effective assistance in security, political, financial, energy and other spheres provided by Germany to our state amid full-scale armed aggression of Russia.
"Ukraine is extremely interested in the support from one of the leaders of the European Union - Germany. Especially at this time of ordeals for us. We are grateful for the recent decisions, for all decisions," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
The Head of State emphasized the long-awaited decision of Germany to supply Ukraine with Leopard battle tanks and to allow their transfer to our country by third countries, which paves the way to the creation of an international tank coalition. He noted: "The recent decisions on the tank coalition and the initiative from our European friends in cooperation with our Ministry of Defense can really give us not advantages, yet parity on the battlefield. It is necessary to understand that it depends on time, on the quantity and modernity of the tank coalition's equipment."
The President informed the interlocutor of the situation on the frontline and top-priority defense needs of Ukraine in the context of Russia's escalation of the war of aggression.
"And of course, the priority we will continue to work on is the resilience of our army. Today, this is the main challenge," the Head of State emphasized.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that in order to ensure an effective response during the new phase of Russian aggression, to protect civilians, Ukrainian cities and power grid, it is necessary for Ukraine to receive all the necessary weapons and military equipment as soon as possible. The parties also discussed a number of practical steps to enhance the protection of Ukrainian skies and increase Ukraine's defense capabilities with the support of Germany.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the importance of implementing the Ukrainian Peace Formula to restore peace and stability in Europe and the world, as well as Germany's role in this process.