German Defense Minister Pistorius makes surprise visit to Kyiv
Photo: Thilo Schmuelgen / REUTER
On the morning of January 14, the head of the German Ministry of Defense, Boris Pistorius, paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv
For security reasons, the visit was not announced in advance.
"It is important for me to show with this trip that we continue actively supporting Ukraine. This signals that Germany, the largest NATO country in Europe, stands on the side of Ukraine. Not alone, but together with five countries and many other allies," the head of the German defense ministry said.
Pistorius said that he wants to discuss further military support for Ukraine with the Ukrainian government in its resistance to Russian aggression.
The German Defense Minister plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, in particular.
The night before, Pistorius discussed European aid to Ukraine in Warsaw with his colleagues from Poland, France, Italy, and the UK, particularly the strengthening of the Ukrainian defense industry.
"If there is money, if there is weapons production capacity, then Ukraine itself will provide its troops with materials and weapons as quickly as possible," the minister noted.
It is worth mentioning that earlier, it became known that Germany had transferred the first of fifty ordered RCH 155 howitzers to Ukraine to strengthen Ukrainian artillery.
Pistorius also denied media reports that Chancellor Olaf Scholz allegedly blocked Ukraine's new military aid package.
As Spiegel wrote, German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz disagrees with a new large package of military aid for Ukraine, despite the proposals of the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Defense. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Boris Pistorius formed the package. It contains three IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile system batteries with ammunition, missiles for the Patriot air defense system, ten-wheeled howitzers, and artillery ammunition.
However, the publication's sources claimed that Olaf Scholz, as a candidate for chancellor, allegedly does not want to announce further weapons supplies to Ukraine amid the election campaign so as not to alienate potential voters.
For reference:
Since the start of the full-scale war, Germany has become the largest supplier of military assistance to Ukraine among European countries. In particular, Berlin has transferred:
- Patriot air defense systems,
- Leopard 2 tanks,
- PzH 2000 self-propelled guns and other weapons to support the Ukrainian military.
There is also an agreement with Germany to reinforce air defense immediately. The deal includes arrangements where the participating countries will contribute to collaborative projects or fund their initiatives to enhance the air defense capabilities of Ukraine's armed forces.
Thus, the sixth of the planned IRIS-T air defense systems from Germany will arrive in Ukraine by the end of this year.
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