German foreign minister makes surprise visit to Kyiv
Photo: EPA/UPG
On May 21, German Foreign Ministry head Annalena Baerbock arrived in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv for a visit.
The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported this on its website. Spiegel journalist Christoph Schult shared the video of the minister's arrival on the social network X.
Ankunft Außenministerin Baerbock in Kiew. Begrüßung durch Botschafter @MJaegerT Mehr auf @derspiegel pic.twitter.com/hPslpoI342
— Christoph Schult (@schultchristoph) May 21, 2024
As mentioned, the Russian army has been involved in an aggressive war against Ukraine for over 800 days, in direct violation of international law. Throughout this period, Ukrainians have bravely and steadfastly resisted the invading forces.
The minister emphasized that Ukraine urgently needs strengthened air defense to protect against Russian missiles and drones.
"Now we must join forces so that Ukraine survives so that Ukrainians can continue to live independent lives in the future, and so that Putin's troops do not soon find themselves at our borders… Together with our partners around the world and a strong alliance of business, civil society, and local authorities, we invest in a long-term insurance policy for the future of Ukraine," the German minister emphasized.
Photo: DWThe Minister of Foreign Affairs wants to witness firsthand the remarkable determination to resist the attackers and immediately rebuild the destroyed infrastructure.
"Our support is based on a deep conviction that Ukraine will win this war. Putin speculates that we will run out of strength at some point, but we have the strength of spirit.
Together with many other states from all corners of the world, Germany steadfastly stands by Ukraine. The people of Ukraine can rely on this in the long term," Baerbock said.
The diplomat also emphasized that Germany would demonstrate this "very clearly in June" when it invited the world to the Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine in Berlin.
"Together with our partners around the world and a strong alliance of business, civil society, and local authorities, we are investing in a long-term insurance policy for Ukraine's future," the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian citizens are courageously and hopefully struggling for their country's enduring position in Europe. Baerbock is also firmly convinced of Ukraine's membership in the European Union.
"Putin, in his imperial madness, wanted to take over Ukraine, but instead, he firmly connected it to Europe. Our fate as Europeans has never been so closely linked with the fate of Ukraine. Ukraine is defending its freedom with great determination, thereby fighting for freedom for all of us.
Ukraine's accession to the EU is a necessary geopolitical consequence of Russia's war of aggression, which violates international law. Ukraine has made impressive progress and is on the path to reform despite Russia's destructiveness. Now it is important not to weaken in our efforts – in judicial reform, the fight against corruption and freedom of the mass media," the head of the German Foreign Ministry emphasized.
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It should be noted that according to Baerbock, the partners should work together to find additional air defense systems from themselves and other countries and quickly send them to Ukraine.
