German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock continues to refuse arms deliveries to Ukraine. The corresponding attitude of the federal government, restrictively approving exports, is “not only well known,” but also historically well founded, said Baerbock in Kiev after a meeting with her Ukrainian colleague Dmytro Kuleba. The German contribution to the security of Ukraine, which feels massively threatened by Russia, is “very diverse”.
Ukraine has been demanding arms deliveries from Germany for years and described the German government’s refusal shortly before Baerbock’s trip to Kiev as “very frustrating and bitter”.
After the conversation with the Green politician, Kuleba said that the topic had been discussed; he had put forward his arguments again. He is grateful for the German help, for example for injured Ukrainian soldiers. In the current situation, “each country can do what it deems necessary”. Kuleba indicated that he wanted to upgrade in other ways: Ukraine knows where it can get which weapons from – in this question it has recently been successful. However, these were used solely for self-defense, emphasized Kuleba.
At the beginning of her inaugural visit to Ukraine, Baerbock met with representatives of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observer mission there. In addition to talks with German Mission staff, a meeting with the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship in Ukraine, Mikko Kinnunen, was also planned in Kiev.
Baerbock then visited the monument to the “Heavenly Hundreds” on the Maidan in the center of Kiev. The dead of the pro-European revolution of 2014 are commemorated there. A meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is also planned for the afternoon. Baerbock wants to continue to Moscow in the evening. There she wants to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock lays flowers at the monument to the “Heavenly Hundreds”.
(Foto: Janine Schmitz/imago images/photothek)
Baerbock wants progress in the Normandy format
In addition to the Russian troop deployment on the Ukrainian border, the talks in Ukraine focused on Kiev’s demands for German arms deliveries and the stop of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. After her meeting with Kuleba, Baerbock emphasized that efforts were being made to make progress in the so-called Normandy format. These negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by Germany and France, have long been on hold. Most recently, there was a meeting at executive level in Paris in 2019.
Baerbock’s trip takes place on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. According to a spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office, a talk on Ukraine’s hydrogen strategy is also planned.
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