Germany, France and Poland pledge to buy weapons for Ukraine using frozen Russian assets

The leaders of Germany, France and Poland have met in Berlin to discuss ways of providing greater support for Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression.

Following the summit, they announced plans to provide more military equipment for Kyiv, including using frozen Russian assets to finance the purchase of weapons.

German Chanceller Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk were meeting under the aegis of the Weimar Triangle, a regional forum that brings their three countries together though but has been somewhat moribund in recent years.

Speaking afterwards, Scholz hailed their reinvigorated alliance as a “symbol of unity” between three countries that “have shown from the start” they want “to ensure that Ukraine can effectively defend itself against Russian aggression”. He emphasised, however, that “we [ourselves] are not at war with Russia”.

The German chancellor announced that the three leaders had agreed a range of measures to support Kyiv, including “using profits from Russian assets frozen in Europe to financially support the purchase of weapons for Ukraine”.

Last month, Tusk called for the West to use $300 billion of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.

Scholz announced today that the trio would also seek to help Ukraine boost its own ammunition production as well as form a coalition to provide long-range missiles to Ukraine.

“We will do whatever is necessary and for as long as it is necessary to prevent Russia from winning the war with Ukraine,” added Macron. “We will continue our support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people for as long as it is needed.”

Tusk welcomed the fact that the three countries were “speaking with one voice” and said that “rumours that European capitals differ on important issues were exaggerated”. He announced that the next summit of the three leaders would take place in Poland in the early summer.

Tusk also met with President Joe Biden at the White House earlier this week, and today expressed satisfaction that Poland, Germany and France have a “full convergence of views” on the importance of transatlantic relations.

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Main image credit: PremierRP/X

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.