BERLIN: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a surprise visit to war-torn Ukraine on Monday to reaffirm Berlin’s support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia.

He pledged additional military support worth 650 million euros ($680 million) to be delivered before the end of the year by Europe’s biggest supplier of defence goods to Ukraine.

“I travelled to Kyiv tonight: by train through a country that has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for over 1,000 days,” Scholz said in a post on X.

He added in a statement that “Ukraine has been defending itself heroically against the merciless Russian war of aggression”.

“With my renewed visit here in Kyiv, I would like to express my solidarity with Ukraine,” added Scholz, who faces new elections in February.

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“I would like to make it clear here on the ground that Germany will remain Ukraine’s strongest supporter in Europe”.

“In my meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, I will announce further military equipment worth 650 million euros, which are to be delivered in December.

“Ukraine can rely on Germany – we say what we do. And we do what we say.”