Declaration on a strategic partnership between Germany and Ukraine

In 2026, we look back on more than three decades of dynamic and thriving diplomatic relations founded on shared respect for the norms of international law, including the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Our cooperation today is more impactful, our trusted partnership is stronger, and our friendship and the ties between our societies are deeper than ever before.

Russia’s unprovoked, illegal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine poses a common and immediate threat to both Ukraine’s freedom, as well as to Germany’s and Europe’s security, stability and prosperity. Germany and Ukraine, together with our partners, are united in countering the Russian aggression. We will not relent. It is our shared objective to ensure a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine, underpinned by robust, credible and legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine. Recalling the Berlin Declaration of 15 December 2025 and the Paris Declaration of 6 January 2026, Germany reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, including territorial sea, and in protecting its freedom, sovereignty and independence. We will liaise closely on the peace process to uphold both Ukrainian and European interests.

In full recognition of today’s challenges, threats and our shared history, our Governments have agreed to upgrade our bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. Building on our respective fields of expertise and starting with our joint priorities, this partnership will strengthen our political, security and economic ties to our mutual benefit and bring our societies even closer together.

1. Partnership for a more secure Europe

In recent years, Germany has generated an unprecedented level of political, diplomatic, military, economic, financial and humanitarian support for Ukraine, becoming Ukraine’s most important bilateral partner in 2026. Together with its partners, Germany will continue this vital support, in particular focusing on areas such as security, military and civil defence and resilience, including that of critical infrastructure. At the same time, we will further increase pressure on Russia.

In light of our 2024 bilateral Agreement on Security Cooperation and Long-Term Support, we will hold regular strategic consultations on security and defence policy and launch high-level defence consultations. We will promote further joint ventures and agree on closer coordination and cooperation in defence and the defence industry sector, inter alia to strengthen German-Ukrainian armament cooperation. This will not only support Ukraine in its ongoing defence against Russia’s war of aggression, including through further strengthening Ukraine’s air defence, drone, ammunition and long-range capabilities, but will also contribute to further enhancing German and European defence capabilities. Germany and Ukraine will strengthen cooperation in the air defence field, jointly working to increase German and Ukrainian air defence system and missile manufacturing and development. In particular, we will focus efforts on accelerating the development of anti-ballistic missile air defence. Germany will continue supporting Ukraine’s drone industry as well as establishing drone co-production ventures. This will be enhanced by furthering partnership based on data cooperation and joint R&D and innovation initiatives. We will also liaise closely in the framework of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.

We will cooperate closely on swiftly implementing the Ukraine Support Loan of the European Union. We will work towards investments that will benefit both Germany’s and Ukraine’s security and defence industries, in line with Germany’s role as a key supporter of Ukraine in both military and financial terms. Germany will continue to support Ukraine in areas such as medical evacuation, rehabilitation, military training programmes and support for the civilian security sector. Germany will also contribute to the recovery and the strengthening of resilience of the Ukrainian energy system against the ongoing Russian attacks. It will continue to support Ukraine in ensuring accountability for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including through a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and an International Claims Commission for Ukraine.

The future of Ukraine lies within the European Union. Germany reaffirms its steadfast support for Ukraine’s membership of the EU in line with the merit-based approach. It strongly supports the immediate opening of all negotiation clusters and works towards overcoming all obstacles in this regard. Acknowledging the significant progress Ukraine has achieved so far under the most challenging circumstances, Germany and Ukraine agree that ambitious and thoroughly implemented reforms in Ukraine, including in the areas of transparency, good governance, the rule of law and anti-corruption measures, supported by the European Union, are a crucial factor in enabling Ukraine’s membership of the EU as soon as possible. Germany will continue to support the harmonisation of Ukraine’s national law with the EU’s acquis communautaire, as well as democratic and reform processes in Ukraine.

Germany fully supports Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements and decide its own future, free from outside interference. Germany stands by all commitments made by NATO towards promoting Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration and will support efforts towards building the allied consensus required for membership. Germany recognises that Ukraine has made significant progress towards the inter-operability of its armed forces and the alignment of its political institutions.

1. Economic dynamism, innovation and recovery

As part of an integrated approach to security and stability, Germany will continue to provide comprehensive support for social cohesion, economic development and stronger institutions in Ukraine, including at the local level. To foster resilience, sustainable recovery and reconstruction as well as reform efforts in Ukraine, we will deepen our development cooperation. Germany will provide new funding in fields such as economic and social recovery, energy resilience, housing, transport, heating, distributed generation, multi-level governance and local self-government in line with the subsidiarity principle.

We will start new cooperation for industrial recovery, creating opportunities for both economies. We will establish a new bilateral working group on the economy and trade, and collaborate closely on Ukraine’s recovery, a field where German companies offer substantial expertise and which provides vast economic opportunities. To jump-start this cooperation, we encourage our companies to further explore joint business opportunities and enhanced investments. In this way, we will collaborate in creating affordable and social housing in Ukraine and building up municipal housing enterprises. This should unlock potential for German enterprises to invest in Ukraine in the future.

We will also foster our cooperation in fields such as cyber, agriculture, hydrogen biomethane and critical minerals. We support a decentralised, sustainable, efficient and resilient Ukrainian energy system and will further integrate environmental and climate considerations into the recovery process. We will strengthen our cooperation regarding digitalisation, focusing on government services, digital infrastructure and the skills needed to sustain them. In doing so, we will work towards greater interoperability between our digital ecosystems.

1. Human Dimension

Our societies are the backbone of our cooperation, fostering stability, resilience and prosperity. By supporting existing institutions such as the Ukrainian Institute, the new Unity Hub in Berlin, the German-Ukrainian municipal partnership network and the German Platform for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, we will deepen our social and cultural cooperation. We will further coordinate our efforts on health, housing, education programmes, vocational training, labour market integration and the reintegration of veterans, internally displaced people and returnees from abroad in Ukraine, thereby strengthening its statehood, resilience and prosperity. In accordance with the legal framework, we will also coordinate returns of Ukrainian citizens from Germany to Ukraine. Further, Germany expects Ukraine to reduce the number of men of military age leaving Ukraine. Given the pivotal role of partnerships between both countries at the local and regional level, we will foster cooperation between German and Ukrainian municipalities and regions, supporting the process of decentralisation.

We hereby announce a Bilateral Ukraine-Germany Cultural Season in 2027/2028. We reaffirm our shared commitment to cooperation on science, technology, innovation and higher education. We will strengthen scientific potential and integrate Ukraine more closely into the European Research Area.

We plan to convene the next consultations in Ukraine in 2027. In the meantime, the German Federal Foreign Office and the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate the swift implementation of our agreements.

The Governments of Germany and Ukraine have already or intend to sign the following arrangements:

1. Partnership for a more secure Europe

• Arrangement concerning Data Cooperation.
• Implementing Arrangement concerning the joint production of long-range strike drones Anubis and mid-range strike drones Seth-X.
• Implementing Arrangement regarding the provision of drones for third countries, including in the Gulf.
• Germany acknowledges the long-term Ukrainian drone deal proposal and will swiftly explore the possibility of signing it.

2. Economic dynamism, innovation and recovery

• Joint Declaration of Intent on Support for Industrial Recovery and Resilience.

• Memorandum of Understanding between the State Service of Geology and Subsoil of Ukraine and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) on joint efforts in the fields of critical minerals exploration, geoscientific research and the provision of expert advice to the Government and industrial stakeholders.
• Memorandum of Cooperation between the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection and the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL).

3. Human Dimension

• Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine and the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building of the Federal Republic of Germany.

• Implementing Protocol between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Agreement of 18 June 2007 between the European Community and Ukraine on the readmission of persons.
   
• Joint Declaration of Intent on the Extension of an Institutional Partnership on Social Policy, Ukraine’s War-related Needs and Long-term EU Requirements.

To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the Governments of Germany and Ukraine have agreed on the following joint priorities:

1. Partnership for a more secure Europe

1.1 Security

• Contract covering the delivery of GEM-T Patriot missiles.
• Contract covering the delivery of additional IRIS-T Launchers.
• Contract covering the delivery of long-range strike drones Anubis and mid-range strike drones Seth-X.
• Holding of regular consultations on security and defence policy between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence (2+2).
• Holding of regular high-level consultations on the defence industry between the Ministries of Defence.
• Forming and launching the joint German-Ukrainian Working Group on the Defence Industry, taking into account the agreement on defence industry cooperation signed in October 2025.
• Establishment of the Joint Working Group between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the Federal Ministry of the Interior of the Federal Republic of Germany on the exchange of experience in the field of countering unmanned systems, particularly in the context of the physical protection of critical infrastructure facilities.

1.2 Europe

Intensified cooperation to support Ukraine in the accession process to the European Union in areas such as alignment with the acquis communautaire of the European Union, the Ukrainian reform process and necessary legislative amendments and their implementation. The German Government pledges additional support for Ukraine’s EU accession path (Step in 2 EU programme) and for reconstruction and recovery measures (EU4Reconstruction programme, support for transparency and good governance in the framework of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative). Moreover, Germany will continue to provide expert support, e.g. via the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation.

1.3 Comprehensive, just and lasting peace

• Ensuring Germany's role in close coordination with other European partners, duly representing Europe in the peace process to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine, contributing to robust, credible and legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine, notably through the Coalition of the Willing and in cooperation with the United States.

2. Economic dynamism, innovation and recovery

2.1 Economy/finance/development cooperation

• Establishment of a new German-Ukrainian Working Group format on the economy and trade between the Ministries for Economic Affairs, replacing the previous high-level group.
• New funding of up to 233 million euro provided by Germany for development cooperation, focusing on industrial cooperation, energy resilience, rehabilitation, social housing, skills for recovery, EU readiness, local self-government and anti-corruption measures.
• Support for the launch of the European flagship fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
• Opening of the Ukrainian Defence Industry’s (UDI) branch office in Berlin.
• Strengthening of economic relations through mutual business delegations.
• Identifying cooperation formats to combat social benefit fraud, including through the use of relevant data where legally feasible.
• Implementation of a pillar for economic cooperation in the agri-food sector, including cooperation in agricultural education, training and knowledge transfer, in the agricultural policy dialogue.
• Initiation of cooperation formats on sustainable multifunctional forest management and technologies for forestry.

2.2 Energy/environment

• Bolstering of efforts in the German-Ukrainian energy partnership to create attractive framework conditions aimed at leveraging private investments in the reconstruction of a more decentralised, resilient and sustainable Ukrainian energy system on the country’s path to EU accession.
• Strengthening the exchange of information on the protection (resilience) of critical infrastructure, such as at the international Lessons-Learned in Energy Security Conference in Berlin (May 2026), as well as on a targeted basis between energy providers in the German-Ukrainian Energy Partnership.
• Enhanced cooperation on biomethane and hydrogen, e.g. through the hydrogen diplomacy office’s operations in Ukraine, including the first H₂ conference organisation in Lviv (autumn 2026).
• Further cooperation on energy resilience preparedness at the local and regional level, including additional pledges by Germany (through the Energy Security in Ukraine programme and the new programme Resilient Energy in Municipalities, as well as support for Ukrenergo).
• Support for green recovery efforts: development of an action framework for investments in environment-related infrastructure and conducting a biodiversity strategic assessment, with the goal of strengthening the integration of biodiversity conservation into Ukraine’s green recovery process.

2.3 Affordable and social housing

• Joint collaboration on creating affordable and social housing ensuring the integration of vulnerable groups and building up municipal housing enterprises, including funding by Germany.

2.4 Digitalisation

• Enhanced cooperation in the field of digitalisation, particularly in the areas of GovTech and digital ecosystems, with the aim of implementing joint projects and programmes.
• Strengthened civilian cyber support and cyber capacity building, especially in the framework of the Tallinn Mechanism, also with regard to Ukraine’s accession process to the EU and shared business opportunities.
• Launch cooperation within the framework of international technical assistance in the following priority areas:
  • scaling of digital social services and targeted support,
  • development and digitalisation of the Administrative Service Centres (ASC) network,
  • development of digital skills and reskilling programmes,
  • ensuring the resilience and continuity of digital public services.
• Explore the possibility of mutual recognition of Ukrainian qualified electronic signatures (QES).
• Cooperation on fostering sovereign AI in the public sector, in particular:
  • approaches and best practices on agentic AI in public service and society,
  • applying AI across public services, including AI education,
  • mutual exchange also at a working level.
• Building sovereign AI:
  • developing European/sovereign models and products with the support of global expertise,
  • building robust data infrastructure and exchange on data preparation,
  • building AI infrastructure,
  • language-specific AI for languages other than English.

2.5 Research and Innovation

• Investment of over 110 million euro by 2029, predominantly for rebuilding and reforming the Ukrainian higher education and science system, deepening cooperation on research and innovation on global challenges and integrating Ukraine into the European Research Area.

2.6 Transport

• Cooperation on the development of the transport sector as a key component of Ukraine’s recovery and European integration including through the Ukraine Transport Support Fund, with a view to further strengthening the resilience and the European integration of Ukraine’s transport system.

3. Human Dimension

3.1 Culture

• Organisation of a Bilateral Ukraine-Germany Cultural Season in 2027/28.
• Sustained support for the Ukrainian Institute through project funding by the German Federal Foreign Office and preferably institutional funding from Ukrainian authorities.
• Efforts to speed up the mutual return of cultural property in accordance with the 1993 German-Ukrainian Agreement on Cultural Cooperation.

3.2 Education, Work Force Development and Science

• Inauguration of the Unity Hub in Berlin, which will contribute to enhancing the professional qualifications of Ukrainian citizens, providing them with information on employment opportunities in Ukraine, on social guarantees, as well as on educational and cultural opportunities, and facilitating their participation in reconstruction projects to enable their return. At the same time, Ukrainians will be informed about offers and contact points to enhance social and labour market integration in Germany. In this vein, Unity Hubs shall foster cooperation with German job centres.
• Continuation of institutional partnership to support reforms in the field of labour and labour market policies.
• Collaboration on vocational training to support educational programmes for veterans, women, young and older people, as well as people with disabilities, including technical and financial assistance for vocational training by Germany (such as Skills4Recovery).
• Strengthening of partnerships between universities through the creation of the German-Ukrainian University Network.
• Establishment of joint research clusters of excellence and support for German-Ukrainian centres of excellence in Kharkiv, Kyiv and Lviv.
• Strengthening of Ukrainian decision-makers: enhancement of the training programmes for Ukrainian Government officials.

3.3 Health

• Reaffirming the importance of accelerating the recovery and reconstruction of social infrastructure facilities, including with the support of KfW Development Bank.
• Continued cooperation on medical care for Ukrainian victims of injuries resulting from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including through the MedEvac Programme and the SOLOMIYA project for veterans.
• Deepening and expanding cooperation in the field of prosthetics, in particular by facilitating interaction as well as direct communication with leading German manufacturers of prosthetic products.
• Promotion of enhanced exchange and knowledge sharing in healthcare.

3.4 People-to-people contacts

• Inauguration of the Consulate General of Ukraine in Dresden.
• Continuation of an institutional partnership to enhance inclusive labour markets and strengthen sustainable social security systems through the exchange of best practices on developing employment support systems for older adults, and fostering strategic partnerships in this area; on integrated, person-centred social services related to employment opportunities; on establishing a fair and financially sustainable multi-tiered pension system; on a modern disability model focused on a person’s functional abilities and needs; and on an inclusive labour market, as well as on creating conditions for the employment of people with disabilities.
• Supporting the development of communities’ capacity and social innovations to facilitate the return and integration of residents.
• Establishment of the Joint Working Group between the Federal Ministry of the Interior of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine on facilitating the return and integration of Ukrainians.
• Supporting Ukraine in establishing the Unity Network and maintaining it through the Agency of National Unity. The Unity Network is the network of already existing Ukrainian organisations in Germany that can provide trusted information about Ukraine and opportunities in Ukraine, return counselling, and programmatic activities aimed at social cohesion among Ukrainians. The coordinator of the Network will be the Ukraine owned organisation – the Agency of National Unity.
• Facilitation of improved cooperation among government agencies in cases involving the return of children to Ukraine, particularly orphans, children deprived of parental care and individuals from these groups.
• Exploration of an enhanced exchange of information for family-centred support and related social reforms in Ukraine, drawing on EU examples.
• Strengthened exchange of information on the protection of children, especially with regard to the digital space.
• Enhanced support for youth exchange between Germany and Ukraine.
• Coordination on temporary protection, granted under Directive 2001/55/EC, and on returns of Ukrainian citizens.
• Extension of cooperation via the German Platform for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, which provides information and contacts for over 1500 organisations in civil society, the private sector, foundations and municipalities in Germany on how to support Ukraine’s recovery.
• Deepening and expanding German-Ukrainian municipal partnerships through the existing network of over 260 municipal partnerships and annual conferences organised by the German and Ukrainian sides - International Summit of Cities and Regions and the German-Ukrainian municipal partnership conference.