Kyiv has been under fire from the Russian occupiers for several days. That is why Federal President Steinmeier canceled both his trip to the Ukrainian capital and the meeting with President Zelenskyy. His Swiss counterpart refuses to pay a visit.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has postponed a planned trip to Ukraine at short notice. Safety reasons were decisive for this. Steinmeier wanted to be in the country attacked by Russia today, Thursday, and also to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. Russia has been bombarding Ukraine and the capital Kyiv with drones for days. According to the information, the officially unannounced trip should be made up for in the near future.
Steinmeier's counterpart from Switzerland, on the other hand, traveled to Kyiv despite the attacks by Russian troops. Federal President Ignazio Cassis published a photo of his arrival in the Ukrainian capital on Twitter. "Back in Ukraine, a year after my last visit," Cassis wrote. "The goal: I get a picture of the war situation and the humanitarian situation on the spot
During a phone call with Steinmeier, Selenskyj confirmed his invitation to Kyiv. "We are preparing for the visit of the German President to Ukraine," said Zelenskyj after the meeting. He also thanked Steinmeier for supplying the German IRIS-T air defense system.
Ukraine needs an air defense shield as soon as possible. "Germany will help overcome the consequences of Russian rocket terror," Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter. Russia had recently increased the attacks with rockets and drones and is specifically destroying the country's energy infrastructure.
After the phone call, Steinmeier's spokeswoman emphasized that the Federal President assured "the President of Ukraine of Germany's undiminished solidarity and support." This applies to both civil aid and military aid in relation to Ukrainian air defense against Russian missile and drone attacks.
