German leader visits Israel as Russia-Ukraine war rages
ABC News
Germany's chancellor is visiting Israel on a trip planned before fighting broke out between Russia and Ukraine
JERUSALEM -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz kicked off a visited to Israel on Wednesday, briefly leaving Europe as the continent's largest ground war in generations rages between Russia and Ukraine.
Scholz arrived in Israel Tuesday evening and will return to Germany later Wednesday in a visit — his first to Israel since becoming German leader — that was planned before the fighting erupted. He toured Israel's Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem alongside Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and the two were set to hold a press conference later in the day.
His visit comes as Russia's assault on Ukraine continued for a seventh day, and as Western countries have rallied together against the incursion.
The war has prompted historic changes to Germany's defense policies. The German government said Saturday it will send anti-tank weapons and surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine — abandoning its long-held refusal to export weapons to conflict zones in a historic break with its post-World War II foreign policy.