Status: 08/24/2022 7:25 p.m
In an interview with the daily topics Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expresses understanding for those Germans who are worried about rising energy prices. In his country, however, it is about human life – not about comfort.
“When you celebrate your birthday, you’re happy about every gift, and we appreciate the decision of the federal government,” commented Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in an interview daily topics-Moderator Caren Miosga in Kyiv the announcement of Germany to deliver new weapons.
However, one must ensure that “these efforts continue and that deliveries are faster and more continuous”. “It feels like we’ve already won this war, because according to the Russian plan, we shouldn’t be here anymore,” Kuleba continued.
Topics of the day live from Kyiv
Half a year after Russia’s attack on Ukraine: How do people live in the war and with its consequences? daily topics-Moderator Caren Miosga traveled through the country with WDR reporter Vassili Golod for a week and spoke to Ukrainians about life and survival in the war. The trip ends on August 24 – Ukraine’s Independence Day and the day when the Russian invasion began six months ago. This Wednesday evening, the daily topics broadcast live from Kyiv from 10:15 p.m., moderated by Caren Miosga.
“We want peace, but we will never surrender”
Negotiations could not take place as long as Russian missile attacks on targets across the country and on the fronts in Donbass and southern Ukraine continued. “People sit down at the table as soon as the guns fall silent, as soon as the Russian troops are no longer on our soil. […] We didn’t start this war. This war was forced upon us. We want peace, but we will never surrender.”
Every war ultimately ends with diplomacy – but the question is what the diplomats write on the paper. “What I want to put on paper as my country’s foreign minister is clearly the liberation of our territories and the restoration of our internationally recognized external borders,” Kuleba said.
Kuleba emphasized that he could understand those Germans who were more worried about their own lives because of energy prices and inflation – and that he envied them: “I’m worried about waking up the next morning. There was an air raid alarm today in Kyiv and you never know if the Russian missile will hit your house and you won’t wake up.” Of course, rising energy costs are an important issue, but ultimately in Germany it is about comfort that is at stake. “What here [in der Ukraine, Anm. d. Red.] At stake is people’s lives.”
Topic overview
war in Ukraine