German Chancellor Scholz makes surprise visit to Ukraine

On December 3, the website of the President of Ukraine released a message on the evening of the 2nd, saying that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with visiting German Chancellor Scholz in the capital Kiev on the same day, and the two sides focused on discussing how Ukraine can enhance its strength on the battlefield and diplomatically. Zelensky said that Germany is Ukraine's main donor of air defense weapons in Europe, and its "Patriot" missile defense system, IRIS-T air defense system and "Gepard" air defense tanks provided to Ukraine have played an important role. He thanked Germany for providing Ukraine with a new batch of 650 million euros in military aid this month. Scholz said that Germany has provided nearly 28 billion euros in aid to Ukraine since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In 2025, Germany will continue to provide Ukraine with weapons and equipment such as air defense systems, artillery, drones and helicopters. Scholz arrived in Kiev on the morning of the 2nd. This is Scholz's second visit to Kyiv since the Russia-Ukraine conflict.