fe73a099b10b3754e2a4e142bf3267d0

Germany

Scholz: Kyiv needs strong army

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said Ukraine would never dance to Russia’s tune and that a focus for allies will be to ensure that Kyiv has a strong army when the war is over so that it can defend itself against any future aggression.

"The basis of everything will be a strong army," Scholz told journalists after a meeting of European leaders in London.

Scholz added: “The path to peace is that Russia ends the war, and the basis for this is that we continuously support Ukraine for being able to defend the country.”

Scholz said a halt in fighting could be a starting point for potential peace talks for Ukraine.

"It would be very helpful if the bombing were to stop… That would also be the starting point for talks that can then continue.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said European leaders had agreed to draw up a Ukraine peace plan to take to the United States, a vital step for Washington to be able to offer security guarantees Kyiv says are vital to deter Russia.

At a summit in London just two days after Volodymyr Zelensky clashed with US President Donald Trump and cut short a visit to Washington, world leaders offered a strong show of support to the Ukrainian president and promised to do more to help his nation.

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