Zelenskyy and Scholz sign security cooperation agreement
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Getty Images)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have signed a security cooperation agreement, according to Ukrainian President's spokesperson Serhii Nikiforov.
Sources used: Ukrainian Pesident's Office website, l'Express, N-TV, AFP, Reuters.
Background
According to Nikiforov, the ceremony of signing the "Agreement on Security Cooperation between Ukraine and the Federal Republic of Germany" by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz took place.
As AFP previously reported, the agreement will cover "long-term commitments to security and support for Ukraine."
Guarantees from France
Zelenskyy is also expected to sign a security agreement with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. The agreement is scheduled to be signed at the Elysee Palace.
"This agreement is in line with the commitments made in the G7 format on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023," Macron's office said earlier.
Zelenskyy's visit to Germany and France
As previously announced by the Presidential Administration, today, February 16, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Germany and France for talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
In addition, on February 17, the Head of State will speak on the main stage of the Munich Security Conference and hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference. Read more about the Munich Security Conference, its agenda, and who will participate this year in RBC-Ukraine's article.
Zelenskyy is also scheduled to hold talks with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Czech President Petr Pavel, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and other leaders of states and large businesses.
Previous security guarantee agreements
On January 12, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak signed a bilateral security document entitled "Agreement on Security Cooperation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" in Kyiv.
This agreement is the first in the field of security agreements to implement the agreements agreed upon during the NATO Summit in Vilnius between Ukraine, G7 members, and their accession states.
The document consists of 9 parts and provides guarantees of financial, military, and other types of support, and its validity period is ten years with the possibility of extension. RBC-Ukraine wrote more about what exactly the UK security guarantees provide in a separate article.
By the way, Kyiv is also negotiating with other countries on guarantees.
