Germany to provide $1.8b military support package to Ukraine
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shake hands at a press conference in Berlin, Germany.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BERLIN - As part of a security agreement signed between Germany and Ukraine, Berlin has prepared a further military support package worth €1.13 billion (S$1.8 billion) that is focused on air defence and artillery, the German defence ministry said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the security agreement at a ceremony in the German capital on Feb 16, the same day that the Munich Security Conference was set to kick off in southern Germany.
"Our security agreement with Ukraine is historic. For the first time in its history, the Federal Republic of Germany is acting as a guarantor state," said Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in a statement from the ministry.
The so-called Munich Package includes provisions for 120,000 rounds of 122-millimetre calibre artillery ammunition and an additional 100 IRIS-T SLS missiles this year, as well as a second SkyNext air defence system set to be delivered in 2025.
In addition, 18 more self-propelled howitzers will be provided from industry stocks in 2026 and 2027, including training, spare parts and ammunition.
The Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzer is one of the most powerful artillery weapons in Bundeswehr (German military) inventories.
It can hit targets at a distance of 30km with standard ammunition and at a distance of up to 100 kilometres with advanced types of ammunition. REUTERS
