Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Kyiv on Monday. Amid fears that U.S. support could dry up, Ukrainian officials had criticized him for a recent phone call with President Vladimir V. Putin.

By Pavel Polityuk and Tom Balmforth KYIV (Reuters) -German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced new military aid for Ukraine during a rare visit on Monday that he said sent a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Berlin would stand by Kyiv for as long as needed in the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a record-breaking defense budget, setting aside a staggering third of the government’s total spending as the war in Ukraine drains resources from both sides nearly three years on.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved budget plans, raising 2025 military spending to record levels as Moscow seeks to prevail in the war in Ukraine