Europe 1 with AFP 11:26 a.m., February 16, 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Berlin on Friday, the first stop on a European tour to sign bilateral security agreements and plead for increased military support for his country in difficulty facing Russia in full offensive.

This diplomatic escape is crucial at a time when the situation has deteriorated considerably on the Ukrainian front. In the east of the country, the town of Avdiïvka is the epicenter of “fierce fighting” and now threatens to fall after months of Russian assaults.

"Two important days are ahead of us. Meetings with our partners in Germany and France are planned" to discuss "a new security architecture for Ukraine", wrote Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the chancellery late in the morning Germany where he will be received by Olaf Scholz.

After signing the agreement which will cover "security commitments and long-term support" for Ukraine, the two leaders will have a meeting and then give a press conference. The Ukrainian president is then expected around 6:45 p.m. local time in Paris (5:45 p.m. GMT) to meet the head of state Emmanuel Macron.

Here again, the bilateral partnership will concern "long-term military support for Ukraine" as well as "economic support and in terms of civil assistance to strengthen Ukraine's resilience", according to the Élysée.

Short and long term

“Today's efforts in favor of Ukraine are nothing compared to those we should deploy against a Russia which would feel victorious,” urged French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné in a column Friday in the newspaper Le World. “Let us not give in to the temptation of fatigue or indifference,” he added.

These security agreements are supposed to give kyiv guarantees of long-term support, while waiting for the country to join NATO. The United Kingdom was the first to conclude such an agreement during a visit by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to kyiv on January 12.

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During the last NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023, the member countries of the Alliance, led by the United States and Germany, disappointed the expectations of Kiev – and many Eastern European countries – by not setting timetable for the country to join.

The commitments made may in particular relate to the granting of military equipment, interoperable with that of NATO, the training of Ukrainian forces and the strengthening of this country's defense industry.

A few days before the second anniversary of the Russian invasion, on February 24, 2022, Ukraine faces multiple challenges: Russian troops are on the offensive, American military aid is still in limbo and the army Ukrainian lack of men, weapons, ammunition.

Meeting with Kamala Harris

Volodymyr Zelensky will continue his mini diplomatic tour on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference (MSC), the annual meeting of the geopolitical elite in southern Germany. He is due to give a speech there then have several bilateral discussions, notably with American Vice-President Kamala Harris, who is once again leading the large American delegation to this “Davos of defence” this year.

Some 180 senior government representatives are expected, including American Secretary of State Antony Blinken, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the head of Chinese diplomacy Wang Yi.

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kyiv has been waiting for months for the vote on crucial aid of $60 billion decided by the administration of Joe Biden, campaigning for a second term, but hampered by Republican opposition under the influence of Donald Trump. The envelope recently passed the Senate hurdle, but is blocked in the House of Representatives.

If Ukraine will once again be at the heart of the debates at the conference, the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the threat of escalation in the Middle East will also hold a predominant place. Complex negotiations are underway for a truce including further releases of Hamas hostages and Palestinians held by Israel.

MSC President Christoph Heusgen said he hoped for a meeting on the sidelines of the debates between Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh.