Russian war of aggression
Habeck visits Ukraine: “Fight for freedom”
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, together with Yulia Swyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, lay flowers at the memorial wall for the soldiers who died in the war. photo
© Kay Nietfeld/dpa
Russia has used massive air strikes to shut down many Ukrainian power plants in Ukraine. In this difficult situation, Habeck comes to visit – and is greeted with an air alarm.
The Minister of Economics is accompanied by a business delegation. The focus of the trip was Russia’s recent attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure, emergency aid, strengthening the Ukrainian economy and economic relations with Germany.
Air alarm triggered
Just a few hours after Habeck’s arrival, an air alarm was sounded in Kiev. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, there was a threat of a missile attack. According to the air force, the night before there had been Russian drone attacks in seven regions that were successfully repelled. Russia has recently increased its missile and bomb attacks on Ukraine. The attackers recently also switched off many Ukrainian power plants. At the weekend, the federal government announced that it would supply the country with another Patriot air defense system.
Habeck: Putin also targets the civilian population
Habeck said that in addition to military destruction on the front, Russian President Vladimir Putin was also targeting the civilian population. The Ukrainians impressed him with their ability to improvise during his last visit a year ago. “The situation is certainly challenging, but the Ukrainians have been able to hold their ground again and again over the last two years. And whatever Germany can do to support it, it will do so.”
Helmut Rauch, the head of the defense company Diehl Defense, which produces the Iris-T-SLM anti-aircraft systems, accompanied Habeck. “Our long-term goal is of course that the systems can be maintained, repaired and the like on site in Ukraine,” said Rauch. So far, Diehl has delivered three systems to Ukraine. The system is used to protect Kiev. A fourth system will be delivered by his company in the coming weeks, said Rauch at a meeting between Habeck and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs Julia Swyrydenko and business representatives. More should follow this year.
Habeck then said that he hoped that the next US aid package for Ukraine would be passed, “so that Ukraine can successfully fight for freedom.” Svyrydenko described the package as “extremely important.” Ukraine has a budget gap of around 37 billion euros this year. Help from the EU Commission is important. “But of course we rely on this US aid, not only in terms of macro-financial support, but above all in terms of military aid.” Macrofinancial assistance means financial assistance.
German companies are interested in Ukraine
In the US, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on a long-delayed aid package on Saturday. 61 billion US dollars are earmarked for Ukraine. Washington also said that President Joe Biden should make long-range ATACMS missile systems available to Ukraine “as soon as practicable.”
The President of the Federal Solar Industry Association, Jörg Marius Ebel, also accompanied Habeck. He sees a lot of potential in Ukraine. Solar energy is cheap and accepted and is also modular. “This means that it is also very, very suitable for future attacks because it cannot be threatened or even switched off in one fell swoop. It can be installed incredibly quickly and it can be stored, making it the ideal form of energy in Ukraine and generate electricity.”
There is “very great interest from German companies in coming to Ukraine and producing and building partnerships,” said Habeck. Ukraine is moving towards the European internal market. It is “a large country, one of the largest countries in Europe, a well-educated, young population that offers ideal partnerships from an economic perspective.”
Habeck wanted to meet, among others, President Volodymyr Selenskyj in Kiev. Habeck will then travel on to Moldova, where he wants to meet, among others, Prime Minister Dorin Recean.