Germany's Scholz pledges aid on surprise visit to Ukraine

(ANSA-AFP) - KYIV, DEC 2 - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a surprise visit to war-torn Ukraine on Monday to reaffirm Berlin's support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia. His visit comes as Ukrainian forces are losing ground on the frontline and amid fears about future US support once Donald Trump returns to the White House in January. Ukraine faces a tough winter ahead, with Russia unleashing devastating barrages against its power grid. Scholz pledged additional military support worth 650 million euros ($680 million) to be delivered before the end of the year by Europe's biggest supplier of defence goods to Ukraine. "I travelled to Kyiv tonight: by train through a country that has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for over 1,000 days," Scholz said in a post on X.
    It was his second Ukraine visit since Russia launched its invasion in early 2022. (ANSA-AFP).