President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is in Berlin, where he met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other leaders, a day after a visit to Rome that included an audience with Pope Francis.
(Bloomberg) — President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is in Berlin, where he met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other leaders, a day after a visit to Rome that included an audience with Pope Francis.
Germany on Saturday announced it’s preparing a record military aid package for Ukraine worth almost $3 billion. On Sunday, Scholz reiterated a pledge to continue to support the government in Kyiv for as long as needed.
Ukraine fired on targets in the occupied Luhansk region on Friday using Storm Shadow missiles provided by the UK, Russia’s defense ministry said. Two Russian military helicopters and two jets crashed on Saturday in the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, according to Russian media reports.
Key Developments
- Ramaphosa, Zelenskiy Hold Talks Amid Russia Weapons Dust-up
- Scholz Welcomes Zelenskiy to Berlin With Pledge of Continued Aid
- Ukraine Cites Gains on Russian Troops Near Embattled Bakhmut
- Germany Announces Record €2.7B in Military Aid for Ukraine
- G-7 Finance Chiefs Unite to Condemn Russia and Counter China
(All times CET)
Scholz Pledges Continued Aid to Ukraine at Berlin Meeting (12:50 p.m.)
Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a personal pledge to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Germany will continue to support Kyiv with military and other assistance for as long as needed.
Scholz hosted Zelenskiy in Berlin for the first time since Russia’s invasion and said the Ukrainian leader’s visit was “a strong signal.” It came a day after the German government announced its biggest package yet of materiel for Ukraine, worth nearly $3 billion.
Germany’s Humanitarian Aid Hits Record (12:30 p.m.)
Germany’s humanitarian support to Ukraine has become the biggest foreign disaster aid mission in the nation’s history, according to the Federal Agency for Technical Relief.
More than €200 million in support has been given to Kyiv since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the agency said Sunday.
As part of the program, 736 injured and wounded Ukrainians have received medical treatment in Germany, while more than 400 aid transports to Ukraine and neighboring countries have been carried out.
Lukashenko Skips Ceremony in Minsk, Remains Out of Sight (10 a.m.)
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, 68, was absent from an annual ceremony in Minsk on Sunday morning to honor the nation’s flag, with prime minister Roman Golovchenko reading an address on his behalf.
The Belarusian strongman, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, appeared frail during a visit to Moscow on May 9 for the Victory Day parade in Red Square, and has been out of sight since then. There have been unconfirmed reports he’s been hospitalized.
Russia Strikes Home City of Ukraine’s Eurovision Finalist (9 a.m.)
Russia struck Ternopil while the band Tvorchi, which hails from the western Ukrainian city, was preparing to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest finals in Liverpool on Saturday night, Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, said on Telegram.
The strike was one of several overnight. Russian troops attacked Ukraine with Shahed drones, as well as fired Kalibr missiles from ships in the Black Sea and cruise missiles from strategic bombers, General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Facebook.
Air defenses downed three missiles and 25 drones, according to the statement. Some missiles and their debris hit the Ternopil region as well as Mykolayiv in the country’s south. At least 30 civilians were wounded in the attacks, according to the General Staff. Russian missiles also hit Kharkiv in the northeast, the region’s governor said.
Zelenskiy in Berlin for Talks With German Leaders (8 a.m.)
Zelenskiy arrived in Berlin overnight, where the Ukrainian president is expected to have talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other top officials. He arrived in a Luftwaffe jet from Rome, according to the Associated Press. He met there Saturday with Italy’s prime minister, president, and Pope Francis.
Germany on Saturday announced a record military aid package to Ukraine worth close to $3 billion.
Zelenskiy and Scholz are expected to travel later on Sunday to the western German city of Aachen, where Ukraine’s leader will receive the Charlemagne Prize — for work done in the service of unification — awarded to him and the people of Ukraine.
Read more: Europe Crowns Zelenskiy As New Charlemagne: Andreas Kluth
Zelenskiy Says He Urged Pope ‘to Condemn Russian Crimes’ (6:21 p.m.)
Zelenskiy said on Twitter that he urged Pope Francis, in their private meeting at the Vatican on Saturday, “to condemn Russian crimes in Ukraine. Because there can be no equality between the victim and the aggressor.”
“I also talked about our Peace Formula as the only effective algorithm for achieving a just peace. I proposed joining its implementation,” Zelenskiy said.
A Vatican statement after the meeting didn’t mention peace efforts, noting that the two men had discussed “he “humanitarian and political situation in Ukraine caused by the ongoing war.”
Russia’s Kommersant Says Two Jets, Two Helicopters Crash in Bryansk (5:30 p.m.)
Two Russian military jets — an Su-24 and an Su-35 — and two Mi-8 helicopters likely crashed on Saturday in the Bryansk region not far from Ukraine’s northeast border, with their crews killed, the Kommersant newspaper reported.
Earlier, Russian media reported that one plane and one helicopter had crashed, with the circumstances still under investigation.
In its report, which cited “preliminary data,” Kommersant said the jets had been headed to Ukraine’s Chernihiv region on a bombing mission with the helicopters had trailed them to pick up crew members if they were shot down by enemy fire.
Russia Says Ukraine Used UK Storm Shadow Missiles to Strike Luhansk (3:30 p.m.)
Ukraine’s forces used Storm Shadow missiles provided by the UK to strike occupied Luhansk, Russia’s defense ministry said in an update on what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Russia said the targets included a polymer factory and a meat plant, without offering evidence. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine’s military. Images on social media showed large plumes of smoke rising in the city that’s far behind the front lines in eastern Ukraine.
The UK confirmed this week that it’s donating the weapons to Ukraine, saying the move was a “calibrated and proportionate response to Russia’s escalations.” The missiles have a firing range in excess of 250 kilometers (155 miles). It was unclear when the Storm Shadows would be ready for deployment.
Read more: UK Sends Long-Range Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles to Ukraine
Germany Announces €2.7 Billion Military Aid Package for Ukraine (10 a.m.)
Germany is preparing another military support package for Ukraine worth more than €2.7 billion ($2.9 billion), the country’s defense ministry said, confirming an earlier report from Der Spiegel.
Read more: Germany Announces Record €2.7B in Military Aid for Ukraine
The record large package is intended to continue to support Kyiv in its defense against Russia and will include material from the areas of artillery, air defense, and armored combat vehicles including main battle tanks.
“We are once again showing that Germany is serious about its support,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. “Germany will provide all the help it can – as long as it takes,” he added.
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