Visit to Kyiv
Habeck promises Ukraine further support from Germany
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck is currently visiting Ukraine. photo
© Kay Nietfeld/dpa
During his visit to Ukraine, Robert Habeck renewed Germany’s promises to the attacked country. Early in the morning, the Vice Chancellor and his delegation had to go to the air raid shelter themselves.
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has the Ukraine is assured of continued support from the Federal Government. “I’m also here to make it clear to the interlocutors in Ukraine and also to the people in Ukraine that Germany’s support, as I said, will be reliable and lasting,” said the Green politician at his Ukraine -Trip.
“But they also expect that, because the military situation at the front demands that we continue to support Ukraine with more ammunition and new weapon systems now that the pressure is increasing again.”
Zelensky thanks Germany
Habeck had met President Volodymyr Zelenskyj the day before, who then publicly thanked Germany for its help. At the weekend, the federal government announced that it would supply the country with another Patriot air defense system. Germany went ahead in the expectation that other countries would now also act. On the sidelines of an EU summit, Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for the delivery of another six Patriots from other NATO countries. Ukraine is suffering heavily from Russian attacks with drones, missiles and glide bombs.
The talks in Ukraine are challenging and the country is under enormous pressure, said Habeck. But there is no hopelessness. During discussions, everyone told him: “We know what we are fighting for.” Ukraine has a right to ensure that promises made are kept.
Conversations about renewable energy
The Ukrainian government’s specific requests relate to the military and energy sectors, said Habeck. “Russia has once again launched attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure with great violence and, because the violence was so brutal, it has also achieved some effective hits.” Germany is supplying generators and is seeing whether it is also possible to supply gas turbines and parts of power plants.
His Ukrainian interlocutors also addressed the role of renewable energies, said Habeck. They could be performing a security-related task. “So a large power plant is a target, but 1,000 solar roofs are difficult to hit and 30 wind turbines are also difficult to hit.” In addition, Ukraine is concerned with reconstruction and economic prospects as well as the path towards the European internal market.
In response to a question about the lack of further US aid for Ukraine to date, Habeck said that Germany, as the strongest economic power in Europe, has “a new task.” He advocated an increase in arms production. “We need higher production. That means we would have more goods that we can sell. And if Ukraine no longer needs them, then we can put them to good use ourselves.”
The day began in the air raid shelter
For the Green politician, the day began in the air raid shelter. An air alarm was triggered in Kiev on Friday morning at 4:40 a.m. local time (3:40 a.m. German time). Habeck and his companions spent around an hour and a half in the underground car park of their hotel until the all-clear was given again. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the air alarm was triggered by several missiles that initially headed towards northern Ukrainian areas and then turned away.
After his stay in Ukraine, a visit to Moldova is also planned, where Habeck wants to meet, among others, Prime Minister Dorin Recean.