During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Berlin, he expressed confidence that Kyiv and its Western allies could make a Russian defeat in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine “irreversible” by the end of this year. He thanked Germany for their support and announced a 2.7 billion euro ($3 billion) military aid package. Germany has become a major provider of financial and military support to Ukraine, despite initial criticism for their hesitant response. Zelenskyy has ruled out any territorial concessions to Russia and affirmed that any peace plan must be based on Ukraine’s proposals. In the coming weeks, Ukraine is expected to launch a major counter-offensive to retake territory from Russian forces. Zelenskyy also mentioned concerns about waning support if the counter-offensive is not successful, but did not name the countries in question. He was awarded the prestigious Charlemagne prize in honour of services to Europe during his visit.