German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Kiev on Monday in a show of support for Ukraine, in a visit not previously announced for security reasons.
The German minister assured Ukraine of continued support in light of the approaching third winter of the war and continued Russian attacks on infrastructure.
“Germany, together with many partners around the world, stands firmly by Ukraine’s side,” Baerbock said.
“We will support the Ukrainians for as long as they need us, so they can follow their path to a just peace.”
The minister arrived in the Ukrainian capital this morning by special train. It is Baerbock’s eighth trip to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Nearly a thousand days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Baerbock paid tribute to the resilience of the Ukrainian people.
She said Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to break them with his war of attrition.
“We fight this brutality with our humanity and support,” she said, adding that Ukrainians also defend the freedom of everyone in Europe.
Germany supports energy aid and reforms
The minister said a “winter protection umbrella”, which Germany recently expanded by providing an additional 170 million euros in energy aid, is the answer to the destroyed heating plants and power lines.
Baerbock also praised the “courageous steps” Ukraine had taken towards reforms and said the country was closer to the European Union than ever before.
Germany, she said, supported the country’s path towards reforms, especially in the fight against corruption and for media freedom.
Zelensky calls for more help with air defense
Speaking in Kiev, Baebock also reiterated her commitment to providing Ukraine with additional air defense systems: “We are leaving no stone unturned worldwide; every single air defense system matters.”
This weekend, after a week of more than 900 Russian bombings according to Ukrainian figures, President Volodymyr Zelensky had called on his allies for more help with air defense.
“Ukraine needs more defense systems,” he wrote on the messaging platform Telegram.
According to the Ukrainian president, Russia also launched around 500 drone strikes last week, most of which targeted civilian and critical infrastructure – particularly energy facilities.
