Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on August 22 that Kiev intends to make the Ukrainian fleet as powerful as 30 years ago in order to unblock the Black Sea and Azov regions.
"As for the construction of our Ukrainian Black Sea Fleet. We need this to unblock the Black Sea and Azov regions. Therefore, it was decided at the level of our country, at the level of the National Security and Defense Council to make the Ukrainian fleet the same powerful as it was 30 years ago," he said at a briefing following talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Kiev, broadcast on Facebook by the office of the Ukrainian president.
Zelensky also noted that the country still hopes for arms supplies from Germany.
According to him, Ukraine needs weapons more than verbal support.
"Indeed, both Europe and Germany support us. However, we need very substantive things. And we know in which directions Germany could support us, " the Ukrainian leader concluded.
Earlier, on August 20, Zelensky said that Kiev was upset by the refusal of the German parties belonging to the ruling coalition to supply defensive weapons to the country. He added that Kiev expects help from Berlin in equipping the navy. Ukraine also expects that Germany "will be a partner of Ukraine in a technical sense," Zelensky added.
On the same day, Zelensky spoke about plans to implement a three-stage program for the development of the Navy in the country by 2035. According to him, an appropriate infrastructure is being created in the country, including small submarines, corvettes and military boats. The final stage of the program involves the construction of a powerful fleet in the Black and Azov Seas.
On August 22, the first part of the talks between Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and German Chancellor Angela Merkel took place in Kiev. Zelensky and Merkel met at the Mariinsky Palace in Kiev. After the meeting with the media representatives, the negotiations will be held in an expanded format.
