At a gathering of Ukraine partners held in the so‑called Berlin format on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the participants pledged a “new effort” in energy assistance for the war‑torn country. The goal, according to German government sources, is to lessen the impact of ongoing air strikes on civilian infrastructure.
During this open and constructive exchange, concrete steps were discussed for joint crisis management and the provision of weapons support. Attendees included German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskiy, and a group of leaders from France, Finland, Britain, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, and the Netherlands. Senior officials from NATO, the European Council, and the European Commission were also present, as were the foreign ministers of Italy and Canada.
Prior to the group session, Merz met bilaterally with Selenskiy. German officials said the conversation covered the current war situation, the status of negotiations with Russia and the United States, as well as current issues regarding arms cooperation and civilian assistance for Ukraine. Following the meeting, Merz reiterated Germany’s continued support for Ukraine.