Surprise visit by the head of German diplomacy to kyiv and Kharkiv
Annalena Baerbock traveled to Kharkiv with her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, to witness the destruction caused by the Russian attacks. The minister took the train from Poland to Ukraine overnight. This morning she was received in kyiv. From there she went to the Kharkiv region.
She said that the people of Ukraine can ” rely [la] solidarity and [le] support “ of Germany regarding the supply of generators, transformers, fuel or blankets to survive the freezing winter, according to statements transmitted by the German Foreign Ministry.
“This city is a symbol of the absolute madness of the Russian aggression war in Ukraine and the endless suffering that people, especially here in the east of the country, face every day”, said the minister. Her visit was made public when she was already on the return train, for security reasons.
Many Western leaders have been to Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, but none have gone that far. east, where Russian troops seized several territories.
Kharkiv was the target of multiple bombardments early in the conflict, but Ukrainian forces were able to defend it.