German Chancellor Scholz arrives in Kiev on unannounced visit

Scholz has arrived in Kiev for the first time in two and a half years for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the DPA news agency reported.

Scholz arrived in Kiev on a train and his visit was not announced earlier for "security reasons," the news agency said.

"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 social media.

"I would like to make it clear here on the ground that Germany will remain Ukraine's strongest supporter in Europe."

Scholz has promised that Germany would supply weapons worth 650 million euros to Ukraine in December as per the DPA.

Incidentally, Germany is set to head into elections in 2025 and the DPA reported that Leaders of its Green Party have been distancing themselves from Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Ukraine policy ahead of early elections expected to reshape the political landscape.

Scholz had on November 15 this year also spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin on phone, the first conversation between the two leaders in nearly two years, according to DPA. In the call, Scholz urged Putin to engage in peace talks with Ukraine as per media reports.

Russian state media TASS had cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Scholz and Putin conversation was a positive thing, even as Germany continues to unconditionally support Ukraine.

Putin told Scholz that any agreement to end the war in Ukraine "should take into account the security interests of the Russian Federation" the Kremlin added.

Meanwhile, Peskov told reporters the Kremlin held no expectations from today's visit to Kiev by Scholz, the Russian news agency said adding that they are "closely monitoring all news from Kiev." (ANI)