The German Foreign Minister arrives in Kyiv on a solidarity visit

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadewohl arrived in Ukraine on a solidarity visit ahead of the 35th anniversary of its independence, for the fourth time since he took office 16 months ago.

Immediately upon his arrival on a special train to Kiev station, the minister condemned the escalation of Russian attacks with drones and missiles, and accused Moscow of "indiscriminate killing of civilians" and deliberate destruction of energy infrastructure. He said that Russia wants to destroy the basic necessities of life for the population in Ukraine, and thus break their will to resist.

Vadevol added that July and August were the bloodiest months for Ukrainian civilians in more than four years. The minister said: "Russia has never before fired such a large number of missiles at its neighbor." In light of this, the minister affirmed the continuation of providing support to Ukraine, expressing his hope that this would contribute to pushing Russia to enter into peace negotiations.

Vadivul added: "We stand by Ukraine. We support it. It will win in this military confrontation." The German Foreign Minister confirmed that more assistance would also be provided to Ukraine as the winter approaches, which is expected to witness an intensification of attacks on energy infrastructure.

Open military support and a bet on negotiations

No country invests as much in military and financial support for Ukraine as Germany does. The German government hopes that military pressure will push Ukraine into negotiations. Diplomatic efforts to end the war have faltered recently.

“It is becoming clear to an increasing number of people in Russia that Ukraine, with international support, has a greater capacity to withstand, and that continuing the war will only push Russia further into economic ruin,” Vadivul said. “Increasingly erratic propaganda and increasingly comprehensive repression at home are also a sign of the regime’s weakness.”

Vadevol is scheduled to hold talks with the Ukrainian leadership. As usual, the visit was not announced in advance, for security reasons. The German minister's visit program in Kiev was not revealed in detail, but it is expected that the visit will focus on talks with the Ukrainian leadership.

The day after tomorrow, Monday, marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union. Celebrations are held on this occasion, especially in the capital, Kyiv.