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BERLIN, 13 (DPA/EP)
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelinski will visit Germany this Sunday to accept the Charlemagne Prize on behalf of the Ukrainian people, in what will be his first trip to the country since the start of the Russian invasion, German government sources have confirmed.
The confirmation puts an end to weeks of speculation about Zelenski’s visit to Germany, who will receive the award in the city of Aachen, but does not know the exact schedule of the Ukrainian president’s visit, right now in Rome to meet with the leadership of the Italian Government and with Pope Francis.
The visit will take place one day after the announcement of the largest consignment of arms delivered by Germany to Kiev since the beginning of the war: a batch of tanks, armored vehicles, defense systems and ammunition estimated at 2.7 billion euros, the same amount approximately than the one delivered by Berlin in the entire conflict up to now.
The aid consignment includes 30 Leopard 1 tanks, 15 Gepard autonomous anti-aircraft armored vehicles, four IRIS-T-SLM air defense systems, 20 Marder armored vehicles, 200 reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles; a hundred light APC vehicles, another hundred logistic support vehicles and ammunition, according to what ‘Der Spiegel’ has said in recent hours.
The German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, has celebrated that “with this valuable contribution of urgently needed military material, we are showing once again that Germany takes its support seriously.”
“Unfortunately, the end of the war is not in sight. Therefore, Germany will provide all the help it can, as long as it is needed,” he added.
