German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv on 25 August, telling reporters that Berlin’s backing for Ukraine “is not wavering” and warning President Vladimir Putin not to harbour “illusions” that support could crumble. Klingbeil said Germany remains Ukraine’s largest European donor and the world’s second-largest overall, and vowed that Kyiv could continue to rely on Berlin. Klingbeil confirmed that Germany will take part in a system of security guarantees now being negotiated by Ukraine, the United States and several European governments as part of wider efforts to end Russia’s three-and-a-half-year invasion. While the talks are at an early stage, he stressed they must be shaped by Kyiv, should start with a ceasefire and include measures to strengthen Ukraine’s armed forces and expand domestic arms production. “Germany will assume its responsibilities,” he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking the country’s Independence Day weekend, said work on the “architecture” of the guarantees is progressing and could be ready within days. Security commitments that deter any future Russian aggression have emerged as a central element of prospective peace negotiations, which the West insists cannot be conducted over Ukraine’s head.