Baerbock, in Kiev: More air defense for Ukraine

2024-05-21 15:02:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Baerbock, in Kiev: More air defense for Ukraine

Annalena Baerbock

"The situation in Ukraine has further deteriorated dramatically with massive Russian airstrikes on civilian infrastructure and the brutal Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said after arriving in Kiev. "To protect Ukraine from the barrage of Russian missiles and drones, it urgently needs more air defense."

The German government will continue to engage with its Western partners to provide Kiev with additional air defense systems, Baerbock said ahead of her solidarity visit to Ukraine. "Now we must gather all our forces so that Ukraine can exist, so that Ukrainians can continue to live independently in the future. And so that Putin's troops are not soon found on our borders."

About one billion euros are collected

The global initiative she launched with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius for more air defense raised almost one billion euros to provide additional support to Ukraine's air defense forces. "And we are working intensively to ensure that this grows further." "We turn every stone several times and we ourselves have taken the lead by sending an additional Patriot unit," the minister added.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy once again lamented his country's massive air defense weapons shortage. Ukraine has only a quarter of the air defense systems it needs and also needs 120 to 130 F-16 fighter jets, Zelenskiy told AFP on Friday.

Zelensky wants more Patriot missiles

During a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Kyiv, Zelenskiy simultaneously requested Patriot air defense systems for the defense of Kharkiv. The northeastern megacity is being closely bombed by Russian forces across the border. Two Patriot systems are needed to protect the city and surrounding areas from drones and missiles.

According to information, Ukraine currently has three of these powerful US-made air defense systems. Germany has made two available, the federal government has promised a third Patriot unit. At the moment, it is not known whether the system has already arrived in Ukraine. The third active Patriot unit in Ukraine comes from the US. Washington is studying the provision of an additional system. German efforts to acquire Patriots from partner countries in Europe or abroad have so far been fruitless.

This is Baerbock's seventh visit to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in February 2022. The purpose of the trip is to assure the Ukrainian interlocutors of the support of Germany and the EU, especially in the face of the worsening situation in the combat zones, we learned from German Foreign Ministry.

Baerbock: "We are able to resist"

"Our support is rooted in the deep belief that Ukraine will win this war," Baerbock emphasized in Kiev. "We are able to resist." The people of Ukraine can count on steady support from Germany and other allies.

The situation in Ukraine worsened further after the start of a Russian ground offensive on May 10 in the northeastern Kharkiv region. According to the Ukrainian side, the Russian troops have so far advanced about five to ten kilometers. This is the biggest Russian advance in the war since late 2022.

Many power plants are out of order

In addition to military targets, Russia mainly bombed Ukrainian coal-fired power plants in March and April. They are now almost completely out of business. Large hydropower plants were also damaged. The Kyiv government estimates that more than 40 percent of electricity generation capacity is out of service.

During the visit to Kiev, Baerbock also called for Ukraine to join the European Union. "Now the issue is not to give up - regarding the reform of justice, the fight against corruption and the freedom of the media". /DW