KYIV, Ukraine, Dec 2, 2024 (AFP) - 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.

"With my renewed visit here in Kyiv, I would like to express my solidarity with Ukraine," said Scholz, who faces new elections in February after his coalition collapsed last month.

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

He said that in his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, he would announce further military equipment worth 650 million euros, to be delivered in December. 
"Ukraine can rely on Germany -- we say what we do. And we do what we say."

- Looming Trump return -
Scholz's visit comes ahead of the January 20 inauguration of Trump, who has pledged to speedily end the war, raising fears he would try to force Ukraine to accept a deal on Moscow's terms.

Zelensky said Sunday that his country needed security guarantees from NATO and more weapons to defend itself before any talks with Russia.

He made the comments after meeting the EU's new head of diplomacy Kaja Kallas and EU Council chief Antonio Costa, who were visiting Kyiv as a show of support on their first day in office.

The German chancellor has argued for a mix of strong military support and diplomacy to eventually end the conflict in a way that safeguards Ukraine's sovereignty.

Scholz in mid-November became the first Western leader in years to speak in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky at the time slammed the call, charging that it had opened a "Pandora's Box" by weakening Putin's international isolation.

In the call, Scholz condemned the war and "urged Russia to show willingness to negotiate with Ukraine with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace", the chancellor's office said.

Under Scholz, Germany has become the second-biggest arms supplier to Ukraine after the United States, but has refused to send Kyiv long-range missiles that could strike deep inside Russia.

Berlin has stuck to that approach even after US President Joe Biden gave the green light for Ukraine to fire long-range ATACMS missiles into Russia for the first time.

In a campaign speech in Berlin on Saturday, Scholz criticised political rivals pushing for Germany's Taurus long-range missile system to be delivered to Ukraine.

Speaking to his Social Democratic Party, Scholz said that confronting Moscow, a nuclear power, with such a threat would amount to playing "Russian roulette" with Germany's security.