The governing coalition in Germany has agreed on a ten-point plan to expand military cooperation with Ukraine. According to the Bild newspaper, the document provides for regular consultations between military departments on arms supplies, the creation of a coordination office for the Ukrainian defence industry in Berlin, and the strengthening of ties between defence companies in both countries. The plan also includes expanding the activities of German companies in the Ukrainian arms sector.
Berlin also intends to increase the staffing and powers of the military attaché at the German Embassy in Kyiv and ensure a continuous exchange of views on the needs for various types of equipment. At the same time, the German government plans to form a kind of alliance with European partners for the purpose of joint arms purchases for Ukraine.
The overall goal of these steps is the gradual integration of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex into the European arms market. The document also envisages the continuous exchange of information on the situation at the front, the sharing of combat data, its use, and the exchange of experience with the deployment of German defence technologies in combat conditions.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz He also stated that European countries, together with the United States, are prepared to provide Ukraine with security guarantees similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty if a ceasefire is reached. At a joint press conference with Volodymyr Zelensky, he emphasised that this is a fundamental and far-reaching agreement, the likes of which has never existed before, but that the details still need to be discussed. According to Merz, these guarantees are primarily intended to ensure compliance with the ceasefire, and the proposals are to be subsequently submitted to Russia.
The United Kingdom also joined the debate. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the so-called „Coalition of the Willing“ had prepared military plans to strengthen Ukraine's defences, including the possible deployment of forces on land, at sea and in the air. According to Starmer, the political process took place between leaders and military planning took place independently among army experts. However, he stressed that the key question remains whether a just and lasting peace can be achieved. For several months, the British authorities have been declaring their readiness to send troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire is concluded.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov He previously stated that the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine, in any form or under any flag, would pose a direct threat to Russia and that Moscow would not accept it under any circumstances.
Lavrov also criticised European capitals for acting against US efforts to reach an agreement on Ukraine. In an interview with the Rossija-24 television channel, he said that Europe is using the Ukrainian crisis to promote its own ambitions and thwart US efforts to achieve a fair settlement of the conflict. According to him, Brussels and major European capitals, including Berlin, London and Paris, are reviving the philosophy and practices of Nazism.
gnews.cz - GH