Germany supports the Ukraine-NATO Commission as a platform for further strengthening and expanding the partnership between NATO and Ukraine on its path, defined by the Bucharest Declaration, promoting common interests in ensuring Euro-Atlantic peace, stability and security.

This is stated in a joint Ukrainian-German statement following the visit to Germany of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, published on Sunday.

"Ukraine and Germany look forward to resolving these issues at the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July 2023," the text says.

"The future of Ukraine and its people lies in Europe. The European Union has recognized the European perspective of Ukraine and granted Ukraine the status of candidate country. Germany strongly supports Ukraine in its reform efforts and in meeting the requirements needed to start accession negotiations and is looking forward to the European Commission's report as part of its enlargement package in autumn 2023," the text says.

"Ukraine and Germany agree on the need to maintain and increase our collective pressure on Russia and those who are supporting its war efforts through further sanctions to weaken Russia's ability to continue its illegal war of aggression," the text says.

"Efforts to ensure the effective implementation of sanctions and to prevent and counter circumvention must be strengthened. Together with its European and international partners, Germany is moreover taking steps to counter the negative effects of Russia's war of aggression globally, especially on the world's most vulnerable groups," the declaration says.

"Ukraine and Germany will continue to work together with others to develop mechanisms to provide compensation for losses, injuries and damages caused by the Russian aggression. To this end, the international register of damage, to be presented at the Reykjavik Summit of the Council of Europe on 16-17 May 2023, is an important milestone," the declaration says.