Germany will contribute to post-war security guarantees for Ukraine, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Moldova.
“We are now making our contribution in support of Ukraine. And we have always said that there must be guarantees of a peaceful order after the war. And Germany will contribute. How they (guarantees – IF-U) will look in concrete terms, we have yet to discuss, and we have been talking about this for a long time,” Scholz said.
He said Germany’s financial, humanitarian and arms support to Ukraine is a contribution to ensuring that Ukraine continues to resist Russian aggression in the face of ongoing attacks.
“Our financial and humanitarian aid, as well as the support we provide with weapons, is very important – and, after the United States, is the largest contribution of any single country. What we have provided in terms of air defense is very important now, at a time when there are so many missile strikes, aircraft strikes, cruise missile strikes by the Russian Federation, and that is our contribution to make sure that Ukraine resists,” he said.
Scholz also stressed that holding such an event as the summit of the European political community is a contribution to the good development of a secure Europe. At the same time, the German chancellor assured that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine was his priority.
“What concerns us all most is Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, which calls into question the European architecture of peace and security and, of course, poses a terrible threat to Ukraine and the people who live there every day. In this regard, it is important that all states with no revisionist agenda of this kind come together and talk to each other here, far beyond their membership in the European Union,” he said.
“The European political community is a contribution to the good overall development of our Europe. It is very important that we support Ukraine. We do it on a large scale, and Europe is united in supporting Ukraine in defending its country,” Scholz summarized.
The German Federal Agency for Technical Assistance (THW) and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) transferred 14 units of special vehicle equipment for the State Emergency Situations Service (SES), the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported.
“Fire truck ladders and fire truck elevators allow you to get to the upper floors of the building to evacuate people or to extinguish fires at height. Therefore, for us it is very necessary equipment, which is always in short supply, “- said the chairman of the State Emergency Service Sergey Kruk, quoted by the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Telegram-channel on Wednesday.
German media report about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s planned visit to Germany on 13-14 May, but there is no official confirmation from the Ukrainian side.
Thus, Bild reports that on May 14 Zelensky will be received by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the president of Ukraine will hold a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. In addition, Zelensky will visit Aachen, where he will be awarded the Charlemagne Prize.
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Secretary of State for Development, German government coordinator for international aid to Ukraine Jochen Flasbart, who arrived in Kiev yesterday, agreed on another aid package with Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk and Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development reported.
According to the report, the development ministry will invest an additional 111 million euros in housing for displaced people and in support for Ukrainian municipalities, such as renovating and equipping kindergartens, schools and hospitals.
“Rebuilding Ukraine will be a gigantic task for the country, its people and for us as an international community. And it is already beginning now, even if, unfortunately, there is no end in sight to the war. This long-term perspective and early planning is important. We want to show the people of Ukraine that we will continue to stand with them in solidarity. And we need to make sure that our short-term support matches the long-term recovery,” the secretary of state said.
He stressed that “this is also about investing in Europe’s future, because a strong economic Ukraine will also be an important pillar of our shared European prosperity.”
Flasbart is in Ukraine from April 18 to 19 as the federal government’s commissioner to coordinate international reconstruction efforts. In addition to talks with the Ukrainian government on expanding bilateral cooperation, the trip includes talks with Ukrainian civil society on strengthening anti-corruption measures and transparency, as well as an exchange of views with Ukrainian entrepreneurs. Flasbart is also holding talks with parliamentarians, the Ukrainian Association of Cities and Municipalities and the United Nations.
According to information, Berlin has provided 3.6 billion euros in civilian support to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion last February.
German authorities are planning to allocate another EUR12 billion for military support to Ukraine, Bloomberg reported, citing sources on Wednesday.
The Bundestag budget committee is expected to approve the plans of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday. Thus, in case of approval of such a step, the total amount of funds, directed by Berlin for military aid to Kiev, will increase up to EUR14.2 billion.
In particular, the amount planned for 2023 will more than double and reach EUR5.4 billion. The rest of the funds – EUR8.8 billion – will be available if necessary in the coming years. The money will not come from the Defense Ministry’s budget or the special EUR100 billion fund for the modernization of the Bundeswehr.
In addition, on Wednesday, the Bundestag budget committee is expected to approve the purchase of 10 self-propelled rapid-fire howitzers from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG worth EUR 185 million; these guns are to replace the howitzers transferred by Germany to Ukraine.
German residents were moving more actively around the country on Sunday, many domestic trains were jammed with passengers as people sought to get to their desired destinations before a major strike by transport workers began, Western media reported.
On Monday, March 27, many transport workers, from railroad workers to airport and public transport employees in cities, are expected to take part in a nationwide strike. This strike is expected to halt traffic in the country for a day.
German trade unions have called on thousands of transport workers to take part in the strike and to demand higher wages – to cope with high inflation. Thus, in the trade union Verdi said that they had appealed to go on strike to 120 thousand people and in the EVG union that protects the rights of railway workers in Germany – to 230 thousand people.
The unions are seeking to raise the wages of the transport industry employees by 10-12%, but at the moment, the employers offer a phased increase of 5% and a one-time payment of about EUR2.5 thousand.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the day before the strike, Munich Airport was already closed, flights were also cancelled or delayed in Germany’s largest airport – Frankfurt am Main Airport.
