Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed on Monday that Germany will keep supporting Ukraine in his final call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, a day before stepping aside to make way for Friedrich Merz.
Scholz has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
He “reaffirmed Germany’s continued and unwavering solidarity with Ukraine,” the outgoing German leader’s spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement.
“He emphasised that Germany, in close coordination with European and international partners, will continue to support Ukraine as needed and for as long as necessary.”
Germany became the second-biggest military backer of Ukraine after the United States, and despite its post-war pacifist tradition sent huge quantities of defence goods to Kyiv.
Scholz however also faced some criticism for dragging his feet on key decisions -- such as sending heavy battle tanks to Ukraine -- and for his refusal to send long-range Taurus missiles that could strike deep inside Russia.
Merz has vowed to continue Germany’s support for Ukraine when he takes over at the head of a coalition between his conservative CDU/CSU bloc and Scholz’s centre-left SPD.
Along with other European leaders, he has watched nervously as US President Donald Trump has sought to push Zelensky into making a quick peace deal with President Vladimir Putin, which critics fear would be on Russia’s terms.
In Monday’s call, Scholz also took aim at Putin, saying his “cynical delaying tactics” were hampering efforts to end the war.
Scholz noted the Ukrainian president had shown himself willing to accept a 30-day, unconditional ceasefire, illustrating that “no one desires peace more than Ukraine”, Hebestreit said.
“This must finally be reciprocated by the Russian president,” Scholz told Zelensky.
