German Chancellor: Germany and Ukraine Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement
¬ Qatar Foreign Ministry Denies Rumors of Paying Iran to Stop Attacks
+
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Germany and Ukraine have reached a strategic partnership agreement and will further strengthen cooperation in the fields of Ukrainian defense and reconstruction.
Merz said during a press conference in Berlin with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: "Today we have agreed on further measures for comprehensive support, including in air defense, long-range weapons, drones, and artillery shells." The German government website broadcast the press conference.
Merz added that both sides will establish an economic and trade working group and continue close collaboration on Ukraine's reconstruction.
"A new agreement on industrial reconstruction has just been signed," Merz said.
Zelenskyy said in his press briefing that Ukraine and Germany have signed ten agreements, including one on supplying air defense systems. This refers to surface-to-air missile systems, including PAC-2 and IRIS-T launchers.
Before the press conference, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov signed an agreement on cooperation in the data domain.
Russia believes that supplying weapons to Ukraine hinders conflict resolution and directly drags NATO members into the conflict, calling it "playing with fire." Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov previously stated that any supplies containing weapons provided to Ukraine would become legitimate targets for Russian strikes. The Kremlin had earlier indicated that Western arms deliveries to Ukraine would not aid negotiations and would have negative consequences.
+
The Qatari Foreign Ministry denied rumors that Qatar paid Iran to stop attacks.
Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majid Ansari stated at a press conference on April 14: "No agreement has been reached with Iran regarding payment to cease attacks on Qatar, and all related rumors are false."
Ansari said: "Attacks on Qatar did not stop throughout the military operation, only ceasing when the ceasefire began."
Source: sputniknews
Original: toutiao.com/article/1862455501748425/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.