Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany made a surprise visit to Ukraine, his first in over two years, to reaffirm support amid concerns in Kyiv over potential scaling back of military aid and push for negotiations with Russia. The visit followed a controversial phone call between Scholz and President Putin, criticized by Ukrainian officials for breaking Putin’s isolation and legitimizing his position. Scholz announced an additional $680 million in military equipment for Ukraine and pledged continued support, aiming to ease tensions and counterbalance potential aid cuts from the incoming U.S. administration.
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