UUkraine

How far are allies willing to go to further support Ukraine? | DW News

  • May 21, 2024



How far are allies willing to go to further support Ukraine? | DW News

Germany’s foreign minister analina B Bach has arrived in key for an unannounced visit it’s her seventh trip since the start of the full scale Russian invasion in 2022 and she’s used it to call for more international support to help protect against Russian air strikes the visit is a display of solidarity and comes at a difficult moment for Ukraine with Russian forces advancing on the Eastern Front Line they have taken control of parts of the luhansk region and Ukraine Army is battling to defend the northeastern city of hake well for more on this I’m joined Now by DW correspondent Max Tander in hke and DW’s Max Matthew Moore here in Berlin good to see you both uh Max starting with you tell us what Ukraine expects from the German foreign Minister’s visit right so first and foremost in general what Ukraine is asking the west and including Germany is uh more weapons kind of weapon systems including medium and long range weapons that are can be used to strike within occupied territory and also disrupt Uh Russian supply lines um in situations such as what we’re seeing in the north of the harke region right now with a new Uh Russian offensive op um in addition to that um while speaking to soldiers here on the ground in the har regions what they’ve been telling us they want to be able to use these Western weapons to their full capacity meaning being able to strike within Russian territory Russia at the moment is able ble to pull together troops on the other side of the border and all Ukraine can do is attack with Soviet made weapons or weapons of their their own production um and in addition to uh this uh situation what uh Ukraine darely needs at the moment is air defense systems Ukrainian president said uh recently that Ukraine at the moment only has a quarter of what is needed to cover their airspace and this is something that German foreign minister Bok when she arrived in KF also renewed her promises to um a joint mechanism to bring more air def def systems to Ukraine Matthew here in Berlin why is German foreign minister analina Bach visiting Ukraine now well there are really two aspects to this visit Terry first is a show of solidarity with Ukrainian allies as they say as while the the situation there really is worsening um and another aspect of this is as Max mentioned there is to really drum up support for a German initiative to help Ukraine bolster its air defense defenses now this this is mechanism basically is to try to raise money or raise um inventory of air defense systems last month Germany pledged to send a third Patriot System worth around a billion euros and so far this initiative that Germany is leading has raised around a billion EUR so it shows you that the job that needs to be done and the work that they’ve got to do and as she arrived this morning analena bebok really try to make clear what’s on the line here for Europe she said that one day um Putin could be on our board and she said quote Our Fate as Europeans has never been so closely linked to that of Ukraine so that’s her message there today is to really try to drum up support from International allies to help Ukraine in its moment of need now Matthew as you know Germany’s already doing a lot to help Ukraine in this war but it’s not supplying everything that Ukraine is asking for how far is Germany willing to go to support Ukraine that’s right um up until now German Chancellor so has really made clear that Germany is at Ukraine’s side but he will not provide something that ukrainians have long been asking for and that is long range cruise missiles like the taist system that Germany has Max mentioned it that soldiers they want systems that allow them to to to hit in deep inside Russian territory or in Russian controlled territory um because they say that these these these weapons can help them Target Depot um or supply lines and so the German chancellor has been under pressure to to provide these weapons but he says he’s willing to take the risk that um that basically that that these weapons could be used to hit Russian civilians so that’s where the line is as far as Germany is concerned Max uh in hke you’re reporting from that City not far from the front line uh in the Northeast tell us a bit more of about what it’s like for the people they trying to cope with this situation right Terry so har as you mentioned it’s a front line city is just about 40 km away from the border and ever since the beginning of the full scale Invasion it was under direct attack there were Russians at its doorstep shelling the city with artillery a lot of people have fled the city people have returned after a successful counter offens but now the situation is very Bleak um we have we’re seeing um increasing air attacks on the city there are Russians at the at the at the northern border uh trying to make their way trying to advance towards towards harke at the moment but nevertheless um we’ve encountered many people people here who are willing to stand their ground who are willing to keep to make harke and keep it as their home and um you see a lot of resilience and we try to uh show some of that in a report um have a look it’s the first day of school for these kids they’re third graders already but have never sat in an actual classroom first because of Co and then because of the war they’re now able to study together 6 M below ground protected by reinforced Concrete in the first permanent underground School in Ukraine a bit unusual at first but for kids like 9-year-old Sasha it feels safe from the bombs he’s heard while studying at home when it was very loud I would either run into the corrid door or hide underneath the table near the wall away from the window in general public schools in harke do not operate in person even today there are students who are participating online parents like Sasha’s father worry about what this does to their children the war greatly affected the development of children the war had a great impact on education there must be a society for children and the children have dreamed of meeting their classmates down here the war remains on everyone’s mind the anthem plays only to be followed by an aid siren the anxiety is constant it’s always there and as you see constant air Sirens we’re under stress but we try to hold on of course this is our choice we’re staying in h we have not gone abroad this is our native home our native school this this underground facility is shared by multiple schools of the district classes have to take turns the city of harke is planning to build more such schools for now the kids can attend only once a week time together they Embrace with delight above ground there is a semblance of normality today in harkee but many who lived here before the War have fled those who remain are trying to live their lives with the Russians close by you don’t have to look far to see the ugly side of harkee in a residential neighborhood a Glide bomb went down between houses homes were destroyed a family of five injured two of them teenagers who were in the garden and inside the house a bomb like this released by a plane needs about 5 minutes to hit the city harke has little to no protection against these weapons this war crime investigator tells us there have been 200 such attacks in the last 6 months months more than 1 million civilians live in har and they suffer from attacks every day no one is safe from such strikes you can see that the time from the launch of the bombs to their arrival is very short and people do not have time to go to the shelter during the alarm harke matters to Ukraine its history culture universities and industry but most importantly it’s home to those who live here willing themselves to find ways to deal with a daily Russian terrorist and Max who filed that report uh joined us now again from hake Max Russian forces have been advancing in the H region how long can that City how long can the people there hold out under these conditions right Terry so what we came to realize is that the spirit here in har is not broken but staying here in the city poses a risk um you have constant attacks uh bombings uh rocket attacks that that cannot where there’s no proper protection from as we just saw in the piece in addition to that you have the Russian Advance now for the moment it seems to have been slow down but should the Russians um be able to launch a second assault on harke move closer within striking range of artillery that’s likely going to drive a lot of people out cause a lot of people to flee and an additional point I’d like to make a lot of the energy infrastructure here in the region has been destroyed so um come winter come darker and colder times it remains to be seen if people will be able to stay in their homes and if businesses will be able to operate here in the region this also might cause people to leave uh Matthew here in ber as we mentioned ear the German foreign minister Alanda Bach is is in Ukraine she’s currently in the capital cave do do you know if she’ll be traveling anywhere near the front line where where Max is uh while she’s in Ukraine well Terry we understand that the analina BOK had wanted to travel to harke had plans to travel to harke but that those plans had to be cut short at short cut short um at last minute because of Russian attacks in the area and if anything it just goes to show the inherent dangers um that come with a trip like this and the risks that people face every day in that that region there so at the moment her plan will be to stay inev um she’s going to visit an energy plant and meet with the foreign minister demitro kba later today Matthew Moore in Berlin and Max chander in harib in Ukraine thank you both very much

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday morning for an unannounced visit in a show of support for Ukraine.

In Kyiv, she called for increased international support for Ukraine’s air defense amid the ongoing Russian offensive: “To protect Ukraine from the hail of Russian missiles and drones, it urgently needs more air defense,” she said, urging Kyiv’s allies to “join forces.” The trip had not been announced for security reasons.

Baerbock also warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to be prevented from sending troops to “our own borders.” She said a German-led initiative aimed at building up Ukraine’s air defenses has raised almost €1 billion ($1.09 billion) while trying to raise “even more. We are turning over every stone several times and have even gone ahead with an additional Patriot unit.”

For months now, shortages of equipment, ammunition, and soldiers have put Ukraine at a disadvantage as the war continues for a third year. On Tuesday, Baerbock had to cancel a planned visit to Kharkiv due to the ongoing Russian attacks on the city.

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50 comments

  1. Ukraine is losing the battle as seen so all these collective west leaders are making trips there these days is to tell only to Ukraine…we are all behind you and you just need to go frontline till the last Ukrainian😂😂.
    Thats the collective west intentions and motives nothing else dont ever believed the western leaders at all

  3. What is the situation at the moment?

    The Ukrainian troops are far too few in number and are being worn down on the front lines, thereby losing more and more combat power.

    Now Zelenskyy has passed the law far too late, which could potentially lead to more conscription.

    There are now two possibilities.

    Either the newly drafted troops are given a crash course for a few days and sent to the front lines as cannon fodder. This would relieve the strain on the worn-out troops, but would lead to high losses for the poorly trained new troops.

    Or the newly drafted troops are properly trained in the hinterland for months.

    This means that the worn-out troops have to fight on the front lines for even longer, thereby becoming even more worn down.

    So things are not looking good for Ukraine because it was not able to mobilize enough people in time to defend the country.

    And the question is how motivated the new conscripts are, who have had to do without for two years.

    There really is no point in continuing this war.

    Everything Baerbock says and does in public has no meaning and only serves to blind the US.

    Chancellor Scholz then makes real politics and flies to China to intensify trade relations.

  4. Russians, Germans, Ukrainians are moving to Argentina and Paraguay as I type this. In Paraguay they form self segregated community separated from the Paraguayan society

  9. If anyone is under the illusion that not giving financial assistance and materiel to Ukraine is a cheaper option then they have to work out how much the entire cold war cost in lives and money. Funding Ukraine is by far the cheapest option and save the most lives, too!

  15. Do you want to end the war and make Putin sit down to negotiate on Ukrainian terms? Allows Ukraine to use of missiles on Russian territory. After(w)all, the Soviet Union colapsed and there was no missuse of nukes. Putin will not use nukes.

  16. Why can’t the German sea that Russia has never cared about civilians either theirs or anyone else’s. I know that the Germans are scared and they’re fearful of Russia.Being a coward won’t help you wake up Help Ukraine to help yourself in the future.

  18. The Russian trolls are out in full force, and DW does nothing about it. These are people supporting among the worst atrocities in the 21st century.

    Any country would be proud to have a strong foreign minister like Baerbock, and every decent person on this planet should support Ukraine in their struggle against the vile barbarian forces Kremlin has leashed upon Europe.

  19. "Aiding Ukraine" means prolonging a war that was already lost more than a year ago. Ukraine launching attacks inside of Russia means Russia will have to occupy more Ukrainian territory in order to protect itself from pointless attacks. The longer the war continues the more Ukrainians die for nothing and the more territory they will lose.

  20. I still get a slight chuckle out of how journalists try so hard to pronounce cities the Ukrainian way, instead of the way everyone did in English for generations before the war started.

  21. Annalena Baerbock is under the protection of the 49-i okremyi striletskyi batalion and informally as the Carpathian Sich Separate Volunteer Battalion

  23. Dear Minister Baerbock… mustard yellow is not on your color wheel, & the pony tail is also a no-go… and cabinet level staff must give their huge purses to staff to schlep … otherwise, you're the hot ticket in diplomacy circles… love from the USA!

  26. Germany doesn't support Ukraine otherwise they may give whatever Ukrainians want. People are dying and Russians are winning the war.Kharkiv is number two city in Ukraine

  37. Ukrainians have already designed and built the biggest airplane in the world, the nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants, aircraft carriers. NATO doesn't have to give them weapons. Eventually they will take it western help for granted, eventually solely rely on western handouts. Let them build their own weapons with technical know-how from the West, become strong arms themselves. In the end, Ukrainians are responsible to determine their own path and defend their country.

  41. 🙂 somehow any victory for ukraine is their doing and any loses "the west" fault.

    FFS they wanted attract volunteers with "volunteer now and you will get 3 mounts of training"

    For a country that says that is no russia, for they they act like them.

  44. Россия без стеснения скопировала фашистский нарратив объясняя нападение на Украину защитой русскоязычного население и необходимостью предотвратить расширение НАТО за счет вступления туда Украины.
    Нацистская пропаганда, объясняя нападение на Польшу в 1939 г., обвиняла Польшу в притеснении этнических немцев, живших на территории этой страны и в ее якобы стремлении окружить и расчленить Германию вместе с Францией и Британией.
    Аналогия на этом не заканчивается. Германия, начав наступление на СССР в первый день войны на рассвете бомбила Киев. То же сделала Россия в утренние часы 24 февраля 2022.
    Всем известно, вторая мировая война закончилась таки разделением Германии и ее пацификацией.
    Эта война не закончилась, прогнозов не строю. Но кто знает , может и в этом Россия скопирует Германию?

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