Ukraine Signs Long-Term Security Accord With Germany

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bilateral security agreement with Germany on Friday, and he is expected to sign another one with France later in the day, to ensure sustained Western support nearly two years after Russia launched its full-scale war.

During a visit to Berlin, the Ukrainian president and his German counterpart, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, signed a 10-year security pact ensuring Germany's continuing military support of Ukraine. Berlin also committed to sanctions and export controls against Russia and to keeping Russian assets frozen.

"The document's importance cannot be overestimated. It makes clear that Germany will continue to support an independent Ukraine in its defense against the Russian invasion," Scholz said.

"And if in the future there is another Russian aggression, we have agreed on detailed diplomatic, economic and military support," Scholz noted.

Berlin also has prepared another immediate military aid package worth $1.2 billion that includes 36 howitzers, 120,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and two more air-defense systems.

Scholz described the long-term security accord as a "historic step." It's Ukraine's second such bilateral agreement after one signed last month with Britain.

The Ukrainian leader is planning to sign another one with President Emmanuel Macron in France later Friday and said more were in the works with other countries. "Ukraine has never yet had more valuable and stronger documents," Zelenskyy said.

The meetings come amid a flurry of international gatherings this week, including the Munich Security Conference that Zelenskyy is scheduled to attend Saturday.

Kyiv says the security arrangements with allies would in no way replace its strategic goal of joining NATO.

Zelenskyy is expected to give a speech at the Munich conference. Several bilateral meetings on the sidelines are planned, including with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

NATO support

NATO defense chiefs met Thursday in Brussels to discuss how to sustain their support for Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that allies need to increase their defense production "to ensure that Ukraine gets the weapons, the supplies, the ammunition it needs."

Stoltenberg said he also expects the U.S. Congress to agree on a new support package for Ukraine after funding ran out in December.

The NATO chief told reporters that "supporting Ukraine is not a charity. Supporting Ukraine is an investment in our own security."

Stoltenberg noted that a Ukrainian attack that destroyed a large Russian navy landing ship in the Black Sea showed the impact of support for Ukraine's military.

When asked about the attack earlier in the week, the Kremlin would not comment.

Ukrainian forces have destroyed several ships in Russia's Black Sea fleet since Russia invaded.

North Korean missiles

Russia has fired at least 24 North Korean ballistic missiles at Ukraine since December 30, in strikes that have killed at least 14 civilians, Ukraine said Friday in a preliminary assessment.

Andriy Kostin, Ukraine's prosecutor general, said Kyiv had preliminarily identified the ballistic missile as the North Korean KN-23/24, adding that of the 24 missiles fired, only two of them had been "relatively" accurate.

"The accuracy of the missiles is questionable," he said.

Ongoing fighting

Ukraine said Thursday a wave of Russian missiles targeted several Ukrainian regions, while in the Russian city of Belgorod, officials said a Ukrainian attack killed at least five people.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the Belgorod regional governor, said another 18 people were hurt in the Ukrainian attack.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported destroying 14 rockets in the Belgorod area, which is near the border with Ukraine and has been the site of repeated Ukrainian attacks.

Ukrainian officials said the Russian missiles fired Thursday killed at least seven people and damaged multiple buildings. A following attack killed four more people.

Officials in the city of Zaporizhzhia reported four people wounded, with damage to a school and a shop from the Russian attack.

Russian missiles also targeted the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where officials said that air defenses were able to shoot down all the missiles and that there were no reported injuries.