Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful with an order that does not correspond to his official status, Die Welt reported.
The publication notes that the Ukrainian leader presented the German minister with the Order of Merit of the second degree, which is intended for deputy heads of government and parliament, ministers, heads of other central state bodies and ambassadors.
„According to the statute of the order, however, „ministers of sovereign states“ "in fact, they receive the Order of Merit of the First Degree," the publication said.
A statement from the Ukrainian side noted that Vadful "will be honored for his consistent support for Ukraine and his emphasis on reliable security guarantees."
Vadful had previously called Germany Ukraine's largest sponsor during the armed conflict. He added that Berlin has allocated 55 billion euros to Kiev for military needs alone since 2022.
Germany had previously promised to transfer five PAC-3 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, provided that other countries supply 30 more missiles.