After obtaining security guarantees for Ukraine from Berlin and Paris, Volodymyr Zelensky returns to Germany this Saturday.
He must address Western leaders this morning and ensure broad mobilization in favor of his country, in difficulty facing Russian troops.
The Ukrainian president will increase the number of diplomatic meetings throughout the day: he is due to meet American Vice-President Kamala Harris and should have a new tête-à-tête with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
His speech to the elite of geopolitics and defense at the Munich Security Conference is scheduled for around 9:30 a.m.
It comes at a critical time for Ukraine and its soldiers who are under pressure from Russian attacks in the east, around the town of Avdiivka.
The release of aid
Ukraine faces multiple challenges: Russian soldiers are on the offensive, American military aid is still in limbo and the Ukrainian army lacks men, weapons and ammunition.
kyiv has been hoping for months for the vote on crucial aid of some $60 billion decided by the government of Joe Biden, campaigning for a second term, but hampered by a Republican opposition under the influence of Donald Trump.
A failure to release this aid to the American Congress would amount to “giving a gift to Putin,” Kamala Harris warned on Friday in a speech in Munich.
Chancellor Scholz will also speak on Saturday in Munich, as will the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The European Union had recently approved, not without difficulty, military aid of 50 billion euros over four years, after Hungary lifted its veto.
President Joe Biden and I stand with Ukraine.
The failure to do so would be a gift for Vladimir Putin.
pic.twitter.com/RSTKguSC2w
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) February 16, 2024
A meeting of foreign ministers from the G7 industrial powers is also due to take place on the sidelines of the conference.
Agreements already signed
On Friday, Volodymyr Zelensky signed two security agreements, first with Berlin, then with Paris, intended to guarantee his country lasting support in its fight against Russian forces.
Concretely, France undertakes to provide “up to three billion euros” in additional aid to Ukraine for 2024. This agreement “concluded for a period of ten years” mentions, among other things, a strengthening of “cooperation in the field of artillery”.
These sums will be added to the approximately seven billion announced by Berlin.
In Paris, President @EmmanuelMacron and I signed an agreement on security cooperation between Ukraine and France.
This document confirms France's unwavering support.
France will provide €3 billion in military assistance to Ukraine in 2024, and will continue to support our… pic.twitter.com/ICUWr1EAxQ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 16, 2024
These bilateral agreements are not an “alternative” solution to support from Washington, the Ukrainian leader stressed in Paris.
But he said he hoped that this would “give an impetus to the United States” to release the expected aid.
“Two years after the start of this terrible war, today we are sending a very clear message to the Russian President (Vladimir Putin): we will not relax our support for Ukraine,” warned Olaf Scholz during a conference press alongside Volodymyr Zelensky.
The latter's European tour was, however, overshadowed by the announcement of the death in prison of Alexeï Navalny, the number one opponent of Vladimir Putin, who already rules Russia with an iron fist, exacerbating tensions with the Westerners and further extinguishing any hope of openness to Moscow.