German Finance Minister visits Kiev

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner is conducting his first visit to Kyiv on Monday since the start of the Russian invasion to reaffirm Germany's "support" for Ukraine.

Lindner, who arrived in the Ukrainian capital early in the morning, stated that he will hold "very clear" talks with Ukrainian officials about how the German Finance Ministry can support Ukraine now and in the future.

Upon his arrival in Kyiv by train, Lindner told journalists, "We stand by Ukraine's side."

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Germany has provided around 22 billion euros in humanitarian, financial, and military aid to Ukraine, according to the liberal minister and member of the Olaf Scholz coalition.

The minister added, "Ukraine must not lose this war."

He emphasized that the discussions in Kyiv will not only focus on the current situation, saying, "We also look to the future," and clarifying that the discussions will center on possible areas of cooperation, particularly foreign direct investment and customs issues.

This visit comes at a time when Germany is facing increasing pressure from Kyiv to send long-range cruise missiles to support its counterattack against Russian forces.

The German government opposes this request, fearing that it might draw the conflict into Russian territory and expand the scope of the conflict.

Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podoliak told the German newspaper Bild that long-range cruise missiles of the Tochka-U type are "decisive" for the Ukrainian counterattack.

In an attempt to ease concerns about the range of the weapons, Podoliak affirmed that their use "will be limited to Ukrainian territory, within the internationally recognized borders of 1991."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP