Germany deepens commitment to Ukraine’s defence in 10-point plan

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BERLIN, Dec 15 (Reuters) – Germany will deepen its commitment to Ukraine’s defence through joint ventures, further market integration and possible federal investment guarantees under a 10-point plan unveiled on Monday during President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s Berlin visit.

European leaders have sought to send a message to Donald Trump that the continent stands behind Ukraine as the U.S. president has sought to accelerate diplomatic efforts to end the nearly four-year-old Ukraine war.

“A strong Ukrainian defence industry is crucial for defence against Russia’s war of aggression and is an important element of security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression,” said the document, shared during Zelenskiy’s trip to Berlin as part of continued peace talks with U.S. envoys on Monday.

Both countries will cooperate more closely on defence-related research, joint ventures and procurement, with Germany, Ukraine’s largest supporter in Europe, looking into the use of federal investment guarantees, according to a statement.

Joint procurement of Ukrainian-made defence equipment to protect NATO airspace within the European Sky Shield Initiative, particularly interceptor drones, will also be examined, it said.

Under the plan, both defence ministries would also hold regular high-level consultations, and a liaison office for the Ukrainian defence industry, the Ukraine Freedom House, would be established in Berlin to strengthen industry links.

Germany will also boost its military attache presence in Kyiv and step up expert exchanges, according to the statement.

Germany and Ukraine would also take comprehensive measures to prevent graft, it said, acknowledging Western concerns about Kyiv’s biggest corruption scandal of the war that prompted the resignation of two ministers and Zelenskiy’s chief of staff.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, Writing by Miranda MurrayEditing by Gareth Jones)