German Vice Chancellor arrives in Kyiv with unannounced visit
Robert Habeck, German Minister of Economy and Vice Chancellor, arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit on the morning of 18 April.
According to RND, Habeck stressed that his visit was a sign that Germany should and would provide long-term support to Ukraine.
"Even in the third year of the brutal and illegal Russian war of aggression, Germany stands firmly on the side of Ukraine," Habeck said upon arrival at Kyiv's central railway station.
In addition to talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Habeck is scheduled to meet with Yuliia Svyrydenko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, and Herman Halushchenko, Minister of Energy.
The talks will focus on Russia's recent attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Habeck wants to discuss how Germany can provide emergency assistance.
Since the start of the full-scale war in February 2022, Germany has supported the Ukrainian energy sector alone with €420 million. The German government wants to allocate another €25 million to help Ukrainians prepare for the next winter.
In addition to cooperation in the energy sector, they plan to discuss relations in the defence industry. During his visit, Habek will be accompanied by a delegation of small businesses with managers and executives from the energy and defence industries.
This is Habeck's second trip to Ukraine during his term in office. After his visit to Ukraine, he will visit Moldova.
On 13 April, Germany announced the urgent transfer of one Patriot air defence system to Ukraine.
In a letter to dozens of countries, the German ministers of defence and foreign affairs announced a global initiative to find additional air defence equipment for Ukraine.