Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin yesterday for his country to back a coalition of Western allies to supply Ukraine with modern combat aircraft. “We can make the defeat of Russia irreversible this year,” Zelensky said at a joint press conference at the Foreign Ministry with Scholz, in what was his first visit to Germany since the war began. In the afternoon, both flew by helicopter to Aachen, in the west of the country, where Zelensky received the international Charlemagne prize, awarded to him and to the whole of the Ukrainian people. The award-winner then continued on his journey to Paris.

“We are working on the creation of a coalition of combat aircraft; I would ask Germany to support Ukraine in this coalition, ”said the Ukrainian in the morning in Berlin, stressing that his army will not attack Russian territory, but will launch“ a counteroffensive to liberate the illegally occupied territories ”.

Regarding the planes, the German chancellor limited himself to replying that his country is providing Kyiv with anti-aircraft defense systems to protect itself from missiles and Russian fighters, and vindicated the solidity of Germany’s support for the Ukrainian cause. “I have said it many times and I say it again today; We will support them for as long as necessary”, affirmed Scholz, who recalled that Berlin’s support for Kyiv, including weapons, has so far amounted to 17,000 million euros.

“German support helps save Ukrainian lives, for which Kyiv will always be grateful,” replied Zelenski, who with this visit certifies reconciliation with Germany after months of disagreements due to German reluctance to become more involved in the conflict. Zelenski thanked yesterday in particular the announced new package of German military aid of 2,700 million euros. According to the Ministry of Defense, the shipment will include: battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, specifically thirty Leopard 1-A5 and twenty Marder tanks, a hundred armored combat vehicles and more than 200 reconnaissance drones, as well as ammunition artillery, anti-aircraft defense missiles and launchers.

Despite the requests for weapons for the defense of his country, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine is ready to discuss peace proposals as long as they are based on the Kyiv criteria. Scholz endorsed him by arguing that “Ukraine is ready for peace, but that cannot mean freezing the conflict and accepting a peace dictated by Russia.”

In Aachen, Scholz himself supported Zelensky at the Charlemagne award ceremony; the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; and the Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, among others. The board of trustees of this prestigious award, which since 1950 has honored personalities for their Europeanism, announced in December that it would be awarded in 2023 to Zelensky and the Ukrainian population for illustrating “not only the defense of sovereignty as a country of Ukraine, but of the whole of Europe and their values”.

Before the morning meeting with Scholz, Zelensky met Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin at Bellevue Palace. “At the most difficult moment in the modern history of Ukraine, Germany has shown itself to be a true friend and a trustworthy ally, standing resolutely on the side of the Ukrainian people in the fight to defend freedom and democratic values,” Zelensky wrote. in the guestbook, setting the clear new tone for the relationship with Germany. On Saturday, the Ukrainian leader was in Rome, where he met with Pope Francis, and with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and the country’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

It was the first time that Zelensky had visited Germany since the beginning of the Russian war against the Ukraine. The last time he set foot on German soil was just a few days before the invasion, when he was trying to stop it. It was on February 20, 2022 in Munich, when he spoke at the Munich Security Conference to call on the West to end the “appeasement policy” with Putin. On February 24 of that year, Putin launched the invasion.