German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv on Sunday accompanied by senior executives from German defence companies, as Russian forces intensified attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Merz is expected to announce €1 billion in military aid and a further €350 million for repairs in Ukraine’s energy sector, German government officials said. His visit is also expected to finalise an agreement on joint production of several types of drones, strengthening industrial and military cooperation between the two countries.
“I travelled to Kyiv today because Ukraine needs all our support in the coming weeks,” Merz said, referring to Russian attacks on towns, residential buildings and heating plants. “If Russia is not stopped, sooner or later its war machine will turn against us.” He added that he would tell President Volodymyr Zelenskiy: “You can continue to count on our help.”
Merz is travelling with Germany’s Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche and an economic delegation that includes executives from Siemens Energy, Hensoldt, Diehl Defence and Quantum Systems, among other companies. The visit is intended not only to reinforce immediate military assistance but also to expand industrial cooperation between German and Ukrainian defence manufacturers.
A central element of the planned agreement is expected to be the rapid production of anti-jet drones. German defence-technology company Quantum has successfully tested such systems, while Russia has used dozens of high-speed jet attack drones each day since the summer against civilian and military infrastructure.
In April, Quantum and Ukrainian manufacturer WIY Drones announced the creation of Quantum WIY Industries, a joint venture to manufacture the Strila interceptor drone and related air-defence technologies. The wider agreement is also expected to cover the joint development and production of weapons with a range exceeding 1,000 km (600 miles), which Ukraine could use to conduct attacks deep inside Russia.
German government officials said greater industrial cooperation would enable money and technology to flow back to Germany, where weapons production could be expanded and defences against drones targeting critical infrastructure strengthened.
Merz is also expected to press Ukraine’s government to make progress on reforms sought by its European Union partners, including measures to combat corruption. Zelenskiy said on Wednesday, following a telephone conversation with Merz, that Ukraine would soon finalise the agreement with Germany covering the production of drones, missiles and related software.
The visit comes amid an escalation in attacks between Russia and Ukraine. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that Moscow would continue systematically striking targets in Ukraine, describing the attacks as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russia in recent months. It also warned foreign nationals and diplomatic staff against remaining in or travelling to Ukraine.
Zelenskiy told Reuters on Saturday that Ukraine’s armed forces would intensify attacks on Russian oil refineries in response to what he called Moscow’s “new doctrine” of escalating attacks on civilian infrastructure. He said the Russian strategy was intended to force residents of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities to flee.
