Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced hope on Friday, October 11, that the war with Russia will end next year, speaking during a visit to Berlin to ask for sustained military support, Le Monde reports.
As Ukraine faces a grueling third winter at war, Zelensky has been seeking support on a two-day whirlwind tour of European capitals that earlier took him to London, Paris and Rome. Visiting Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelensky, dressed in his trademark military clothes, thanked Germany for its backing and said that “it is very important for us that this assistance does not decrease next year.”
He said he would present Scholz with his plan for winning the war, voicing hope that the conflict would end “no later than next year, 2025.” “Ukraine more than anyone else in the world wants a fair and speedy end to this war,” Zelensky said. “The war is destroying our country, taking the lives of our people.”
Scholz pledged Germany and EU partners would send more defense equipment this year, and German aid worth €4 billion in 2025, vowing that “we will not let up in our support for Ukraine”. Scholz said he and the Ukrainian leader agreed on the need for a peace conference that includes Russia, but that peace “can only be brought about on the basis of international law.” “We will not accept a peace dictated by Russia,” Scholz said.
Zelensky has been seeking fresh military and financial aid from his European allies amid fears of dwindling support if Donald Trump wins the US presidency next month. A scheduled Ukraine defence meeting Saturday at the Ramstein US air base in western Germany was postponed after US President Joe Biden called off a state visit to Germany because of Hurricane Milton.