Germany's Scholz makes surprise visit to Kyiv weeks before no-confidence vote

The visit comes weeks before the German leader is set to ask his parliament for a vote of no confidence, which he is widely expected to lose.

Transcript

00:00German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Ukraine only weeks before he is set to ask his parliament

00:07for a vote of no confidence he is widely expected to lose.

00:12Scholz promised the war-torn country an additional aid package worth 650 million euro at a time

00:18of escalating Russian attacks.

00:22The German leader's approach to Ukraine has come under criticism, primarily due to his

00:26refusal to send powerful cruise missiles to Kiev, as he argues it would risk Germany

00:31becoming directly involved in the conflict.

00:36Ukraine's ambassador to Germany called Scholz's refusal to send the weapons a blank check

00:41for the Russians.

00:43Scholz drew further criticism in November after he spoke on the telephone with Russian

00:48President Vladimir Putin.

00:50A call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said undermined international efforts to isolate

00:56Russia.