In Berlin, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Federal Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz held intergovernmental consultations for the first time in more than 20 years.
Representing the Government of Ukraine were First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration – Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Oleksii Sobolev, and Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity Denys Uliutin.
“The key areas include energy, infrastructure, the development of our communities, and our political interaction, including cooperation within European institutions. It is important to ensure a clear and unimpeded path for Ukraine toward membership in the European Union. Defense cooperation and joint defense production are, of course, also subjects of these intergovernmental consultations,” the Head of State said during a press interaction.
The leaders emphasized that the revival of the intergovernmental consultations format fully reflects current needs, as relations between Ukraine and Germany have reached the level of a truly strategic partnership.
The consultations focused on concrete results and plans for the future, including the documents signed today, a significant part of which is aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities and resilience. These cover key areas of assistance: defense cooperation, energy, and support for the population.
A major part of the discussion was dedicated to developing a bilateral drone agreement proposed by Ukraine to Germany.
“Our experience can be integrated into the European security system, and our current cooperation with countries in the Middle East and the Gulf – as they face constant attacks – proves that our experience and our proposals, our Drone Deals are the most effective,” the Head of State said.
Particular attention was given to Ukraine’s future membership in the European Union. Friedrich Merz stressed that Germany supports Ukraine’s European integration aspirations and the opening of negotiation clusters. It is also working to remove all obstacles on this path.
The discussion also addressed support for Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homes due to Russian aggression, including plans to open a Unity Center in Berlin.
Ukrainian-German intergovernmental consultations were last held in 2004. The resumption of this format was agreed upon by Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Friedrich Merz in May 2025 during the visit of the President of Ukraine to Berlin.
