Scholz announces new military aid to Ukraine, Zelenskyy speaks of desired timeline to end the war - Friday brief

Scholz unveils €1.4 billion aid package for Ukraine: IRIS-T air defense and beyond

Germany plans to provide Ukraine with a €1.4 billion military aid package by the end of the year. It will include air defense systems.

The head of the German government noted that Ukraine had already received a military aid package worth €600 million. It includes the fifth IRIS-T SLM system, armored personnel carriers, tanks, howitzers, ammunition, and drones.

“By the end of the year, with the support of Belgium, Denmark, and Norway, we will deliver another package to Ukraine worth €1.4 billion,” Scholz said.

According to him, the package includes:

• IRIS-T air defense system;
• Skynex air defense system;
• Gepard anti-aircraft guns;
• self-propelled artillery systems;
• armored vehicles
• combat drones;
• radars;
• ammunition.

Zelenskyy says he hopes to end the war no later than 2025

Ukraine would like to end the war no later than 2025 in the way so that Russia's armed aggression does not happen again, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

At a press conference before a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the president said he would present a victory plan that could force Russia to end the war.

“We would like to end the war no later than next year, in 2025, and guarantee that the aggression will not repeat. This plan is a bridge to holding an effective peace summit that will indeed put an end to the war,” the president said.

Ukraine to receive additional loan of $300 million from Canada

On October 11, Ukraine’s Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko signed an agreement with the Canadian government for a loan of 400 million Canadian dollars (approximately 300 million USD). The funds will be allocated to finance priority expenditures in Ukraine’s state budget through the IMF's administrative account.

The new loan has a 10-year term with an interest rate of 1.5% per year and a grace period of 4.5 years. These funds are expected to be transferred to Ukraine’s general state budget in the near future.

Italian PM announces date for Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference. It will be held in Rome on July 10-11, 2025.

"Striving for future peace and prosperity also means striving for recovery, and I am pleased to announce that the conference will take place in Rome: this is an event we deeply care about and have been working on for some time," Meloni emphasized after her meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Nobel Peace Prize 2024 winner announced

The Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo has announced the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024. The award was given to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, which unites survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Read more about the winner by following the link.