Burc Eruygur
25 October 2022•Update: 26 October 2022
ISTANBUL
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Tuesday for the first time since the beginning of Russia’s war in February, to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On his arrival, Steinmeier conveyed messages of solidarity and support to the Ukrainian people through his spokeswoman.
"German Federal President Steinmeier has arrived in Ukraine with a twofold message: My message to the people of Ukraine is: You can count on Germany! We will continue to support Ukraine: militarily, politically, financially and in humanitarian regards,” Cerstin Gammelin, the German presidential spokeswoman, said on Twitter.
Gammelin also said Steinmeier asked the German people to look through the eyes of the Ukrainians for a moment, urging them to never forget what the war means for the Ukrainian people, due to which they need "full solidarity and support -- as long as it is necessary.”
“It is also a matter of repairing destroyed infrastructure as quickly as possible, of repairing power grids, water pipes, heating systems, of eliminating supply bottlenecks. Many German partner cities are providing great help in this regard. Together with Zelenskyy, I will take over the patronage of the bilateral city partnership network,” Gammelin quoted Steinmeier as saying.
Steinmeier further said the more partnerships there are, the better it will be to get through the winter.
The German president’s surprise visit came as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed that Germany sees Ukraine as a future EU member, and will do everything to support the country’s recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Scholz also underlined that political, economic, and military support for Ukraine will also take place on the level of EU member states.
