Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is traveling to Ukraine for the second time in three weeks. It should again be about arms deliveries.
- The conflict in Ukraine continues to escalate.
- Ukraine asks Germany for arms deliveries.
- foreign minister Annalena Bärbock* arrived in Kiev for a visit. The information in the news ticker.
+++ 5:09 p.m: During her visit to Ukraine, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) confirmed Germany’s willingness to “pay a high economic price” in the event of sanctions against Russia. “It’s about the security of Ukraine,” said Baerbock on Monday afternoon at a joint press conference with her Ukrainian colleague Dmytro Kuleba.
In the event of an escalation in the Ukraine conflict, Germany and its partners have prepared “a series of tough measures” against Russia.
Baerbock arrived in Ukraine – Foreign Minister assures Kiev of solidarity
+++ 2.50 p.m.: At the start of her visit to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited the Holodomor memorial in Kiev. The memorial commemorates the victims of a great famine (Ukrainian: “Holodomor”) of 1932 and 1933. Several million people died at that time. Afterwards, meetings with Head of State Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba were on the agenda for the Greens politician on Monday (February 7th, 2022). The central theme is the conflict with Russia. An attack by Russian troops on the former Soviet republic is feared in the west.
It is eagerly awaited what the minister will say about the latest Ukrainian weapon requests. The federal government has so far strictly rejected deliveries to crisis areas. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) reiterated the German no on Sunday before he left for his inaugural visit to Washington. Ukraine had previously submitted a list of weapon requests to the Federal Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defense.
Baerbock assures Ukraine solidarity – but no weapons
+++ 11.35 a.m.: Today Annalena Baerbock travels to Kiev again. In the run-up to the visit, Ukraine’s foreign minister once again assured Germany’s solidarity in the conflict with Russia. During the visit, she will “make it unmistakably clear” that the federal government, as a partner of Ukraine, “stands by the country’s territorial integrity without ifs or buts and stands by the people of Ukraine,” Baerbock said before she left for Kiev.
The West will respond to “any further Russian aggression against Ukraine” with “tough, very concrete measures”. “It’s about nothing less than peace in Europe,” emphasized the Foreign Minister. “Fighting for this with all our strength and determination must be worth every effort.” Baerbock classified the situation in the conflict as “explosive”.
Baerbock travels to Kiev – with what attitude?
First report from Monday, February 7th, 2022: Kiev – Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock travels to Ukraine. Parallel to Inaugural visit by Chancellor Olaf Scholz* (SPD) in the USA* Meetings with Head of State Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba are on the agenda in the capital Kiev. It is eagerly awaited what Annalena Baerbock will say about Ukraine’s requests for arms deliveries. Deliveries of weapons to crisis areas have so far been refused.
Shortly before Baerbock’s trip, Ukraine informed the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defense about the ongoing conflict Russia* a list of weapon requests. She asked for medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems, man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-drone guns, microwave destruction systems, electronic tracking systems, night vision goggles, surveillance cameras and ammunition. According to the Ukrainian embassy in Berlin, these are “weapons systems of a defensive nature”.
Annalena Baerbock: Ukraine asks for arms deliveries
The request is currently being examined, according to government circles. The Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, reiterated Kiev’s demands. “We need the latest weapons. Germany can deliver that. Germany is capable of doing that.”
“And to refuse that today means for us to let Ukraine down,” said the diplomat on Sunday evening in the ARD program “Anne Will”*. “We must recognize that we face the danger of a huge war in the heart of Europe,” Melnyk warned.
Ukraine conflict: Foreign Minister Baerbock in Kiev
In addition to meeting Selenskyj and Kuleba, Annalena Baerbock wants to visit a memorial in Ukraine that commemorates the victims of a great famine in 1932/33. At that time, several million people died. A visit to a military hospital in Kiev, co-financed by Germany, is planned for Monday evening.
Baerbock then plans to travel to eastern Ukraine, where she plans to visit the front line between Ukrainian government troops and Russian-backed separatists in the Donbass conflict zone on Tuesday. The minister was already in Ukraine in January. (marv/dpa) *fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
#Baerbock #ready #pay #high #economic #price