Ukraine, Germany may sign security assurances deal this month - media

This was reported to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung by Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna, Ukrinform saw.

According to the official, during the Berlin visit earlier this week, the Ukrainian delegation worked with the German side on the "draft agreement on bilateral security assurances".

The text "has not yet been agreed upon, but it is mostly ready," Stefanishyna said.

In Berlin, government sources cited by the newspaper said the agreement was to be signed on February 16 during the Munich Security Conference.

The deal should become part of a network of bilateral security agreements, designed to support Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression, while the country is yet to become member of NATO. The decision was made on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius last July.

Among Ukraine's partners, in addition to Germany and the USA, there are other G7 and NATO states. The first such agreement was concluded with London this January. The UK undertakes to support Ukraine for the next 10 years.

Stefanishyna said the guarantees include required reforms in Ukraine, financial assistance for several years, military-industrial cooperation, and sustainable military support from Germany. Both sides agreed that the deal should be concluded as soon as possible.

The politician highly appreciated the support Germany has been providing to Ukraine in the context of the latter’s European integration.

At the same time, she expressed skepticism pver Germany's role in the issue of Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. According to Stefanishyna, Berlin has not yet taken leadership "in all spheres", and expressed hope that the situation will change.

"For example, Germany is still hesitant about Ukraine's path to NATO, without any reason," she said, adding that the invitation could have been voiced in Vilnius should Berlin's position be different.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the preparation of a bilateral document on security assurances for Ukraine was close to being finalized, stopping short of providing any details.

Stefanishyna visited Berlin on February 1-2, alongside a delegation on security obligations talks, headed by the deputy chief of the Ukrainian President’s Office Ihor Zhovkva.