Information
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bilateral security agreement worth €1.13 billion ($1.22 billion) in Berlin on Friday. This agreement, named the “Munich Package”, is focused on air defence and artillery and includes provisions of 120,000 rounds of 122-millimetre calibre ammunition and an additional 100 IRIS-T SLS missiles for this year. Scholz called this agreement a significant step, and he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that “Germany will continue to support Ukraine in the face of the Russian war of aggression.” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also praised the agreement and said, “For the first time in history, the Federal Republic of Germany is acting as a guarantor state.” Zelenskyy described the agreement as “an unprecedented document that guarantees German support for Ukraine in the amount of €7 billion for this year.” He also expressed his gratitude to Germany and its people for their solidarity with Ukraine. In January, Britain and Ukraine signed a similar agreement, and Zelenskyy is expected to sign a similar agreement with France in Paris later in the day.
Source: DW
Assessment
This agreement, along with the others, is an effective way to ensure continued support for Ukraine against Russian aggression. In particular, the promises to increase the supplies of artillery shells are going to be critical for Ukraine’s defence going forward, especially as Europe comes out of winter and the ground begins to dry. In defence, significant firepower allows Ukraine to disrupt Russia’s ability to form large groups before an assault, making coordinated attacks more difficult and reducing the size of formations. Large supplies of artillery shells are equally as important for offensive operations; high rates of fire soften up Russian defensive positions allowing Ukraine forces to assault them more effectively.
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