During a meeting with the leaders of two Bundestag coalition factions, Jens Spahn and Matthias Miersch, we discussed financial and defense support for Ukraine, as well as the next steps in diplomacy.
We are grateful to Germany for its leadership in supporting our people, especially for the Patriot systems and missiles, and IRIS-T systems – all of which are saving the lives of our people. We also spoke about further bolstering the protection of our skies.
Separately, we discussed the importance of achieving a ceasefire and developing security guarantees. In recent weeks, Russia has shown no intention of being ready for a meeting at the level of leaders and has continued striking our people. That is why we count on Germany’s support in increasing pressure on Russia. Only strong actions can change Russian behavior.
Yesterday, Russia launched a record attack on Ukraine with 741 aerial weapons. Today, it struck again – hitting Kyiv, killing two women and injuring at least sixteen people, damaging homes and infrastructure across the city.
This keeps happening because Russia felt unpunished yesterday – and still believes it can strike again tomorrow. It must be stopped.
Additional funding for interceptor drones and air defense for Ukraine is essential. There’s also an urgent need to accelerate investments in the Ukrainian weapons production and technological development. It’s crucial to tighten sanctions on Russia. The goals are clear. Russia won’t stop unless it’s forced to.