German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul arrived in Ukraine on the morning of June 30 for his first official visit.
As reported by Censor.NET, this was covered by DW.
“Putin seeks to prevent Ukraine from determining its own destiny by force. His war aims at nothing less than the subjugation of Ukraine. He attacks Ukrainians with brutal bombing terror. Every day and night, people die in their own homes – in Kyiv, in Odesa, in Dnipro. But despite all the destruction and terror, Ukrainians defend their country, their freedom, and their future every single day with unwavering determination. They show incredible courage, strength, and resilience. This deserves our highest respect,” Wadephul stated.
The minister promised continued support for Ukraine.
“Our support for Ukraine’s freedom is a testament to our steadfastness as Europeans. Russia is hoping we will scale back our assistance. (…) But we will continue to firmly stand by Ukraine, so that it can successfully defend itself — with the help of modern air defense systems and other weaponry, as well as humanitarian and economic aid. That is the commitment I bring with me to Kyiv today,” stated the German Foreign Minister.
According to Wadephul, it is in Ukraine that “the question is now being decided: whether our Europe will remain a place where freedom and human dignity are valued — or become a continent where violence redraws borders.”
“Ukrainian men and women are defending not only the freedom and sovereignty of their country, but also the security and freedom of Europe against Putin’s aggression. That is why we will continue to focus all our efforts on supporting Ukraine. Ukraine’s freedom and future are the most important goals of our foreign and security policy,” he assured.
The minister expressed confidence in Ukraine’s genuine intent to end the war and emphasized the importance of sanctions against Russia.
“Ukraine has repeatedly demonstrated its readiness to end this war through serious negotiations. Meanwhile, Putin refuses to give up any of his maximalist demands — he does not want negotiations; he wants capitulation. And as long as that is the case, we will continue working to limit Putin’s ability to finance this criminal war through sanctions. We are working on this intensively within the European Union and with our G7 partners,” he stated.
Wadephul also noted that Putin’s current actions “must serve as a serious warning for us in Germany.”
“The ideology of imperialism that drives Putin is the greatest threat to our security in Germany and Europe. The determination of NATO partners to invest 5 percent in defense and security in the future clearly shows that, as allies, we are prepared to consistently defend our freedom and security,” the minister emphasized.
Tags: Germany Politics Ukraine
