At a critical juncture in the war in Ukraine, with Russian drone attacks continuing unabated in many Ukrainian regions and the new front in Kursk inside Russian territory, the presence of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky today in Germany it acquires a different weight.

It’s the first time he’s transferred to his American base Rammstein in Rhineland-Palatinate, where the Contact Group for Ukraine under the Ministry of Defense scheme of 50 allied countries.

Volodymyr Zelensky is under pressure and is asking Western allies for long-range missiles that could hit targets even in Russia, since many Russian attacks are launched from there, he told allies. Such a thing, however, does not seem to have the support of the USA, as was seen from the statements of the American Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. According to international agencies, however, it seems that there are other countries that do not have corresponding missiles, but are positive towards Zelensky’s requests.

OR Germany for its part, it had already recently announced the delivery of another four Iris-T air defense systems to Ukraine. Today Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced the delivery of another dozen Panzerhaubitzen 2000 howitzers worth €150 million to Ukraine and backed Kiev’s request for further air defense systems Patriot.

“These systems must be in the hands of Ukraine to protect the power grid and other critical infrastructure,” he said from the Ramstein base. However, Germany rejects sending long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

Zelensky-Soltz: Public thanks, insecurity in the background

In the middle of the afternoon, Volodymyr Zelenskiy met behind closed doors and without a press conference with Chancellor Olaf Solz in Frankfurt.

With his message through the X platform, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: “Germany is and will remain the most important supporter of Ukraine in Europe. We will support Ukraine as long as necessary. It was a good meeting in Frankfurt today.”

For his part, Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Chancellor Solz. “I am grateful for the overall support of Germany” he said through X. A support, which he called the basis for the successful struggle and for the independence of Ukraine.

“I am also grateful that Germany played a leading role in providing air defense systems, which save Ukrainian lives,” the Ukrainian president stressed. In fact, as he said, he discussed with the German chancellor the preparations for a second Summit for Peace in Ukraine.

However, beyond public thanks is the fact that recent journalistic revelations about plans to cut German economic and military aid to Ukraine in the next budget, combined with the proposal to establish a new aid model with international financing-loans, as the countries of G7, although denied by the German government, cause concern in Kiev.

Germany’s official opposition criticizes the government’s stance, saying the ambiguities involved in creating a new model of international support for Ukrainian defense are causing more insecurity in Ukraine at a critical time for all of Europe.