Security agreement between Ukraine, Germany may be signed by month end

She said this in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Stefanishyna noted that the text "has not yet been finalized, but it is generally complete." 

According to government sources in Berlin, the agreement is to be signed on February 16 during the Munich Security Conference in Berlin.

The outlet noted that this agreement should become part of a network of bilateral security agreements designed to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression while the country is not yet a NATO member. 

Stefanishyna noted that the agreement with Germany would include "necessary reforms in Ukraine, financial assistance for several years, military-industrial cooperation and the provision of sustainable military support from Germany."

The sides agreed that the agreement should be finalized as soon as possible.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, from Ukraine's point of view, "Germany's role has become much stronger" and has recently changed "decisively" in a positive direction. 

She added that the actions of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in his talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the start of EU accession negotiations in December clearly impressed Kyiv.

Stefanishyna also recalled that it was Scholz who convinced Orban to "go get a cup of coffee" at the EU summit before the decisive vote, as he could have vetoed it.

• On February 3, Ukraine's Office of the President reported that during a visit to Kyiv by a French delegation, Ukraine and France came close to finalizing a bilateral agreement on security guarantees.