Ukraine: Federal Defense Minister Pistorius for talks in Kyiv

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to further expand the military aid for Ukraine. On arrival for talks with the government in Kiev, the SPD politician condemned the increased Russian air strikes to the country, which are “extremely violent and threatening with the large number of marching aircraft and drone attacks”.

“This sets a clear sign from Moscow: there is no interest in a peaceful solution at the moment, but with undiminished hardness and, above all, increasingly civilian areas in Ukraine are attacked again,” said Pistorius in Kiev.

His journey shows that the new federal government is also on the side of Ukraine. Pistorius said: “Of course it will be about what the support of Germany and other Europeans will look like in the future. What we can do, for example in the field of industrial cooperation, but also other support.”

Regardless of international peace efforts, Russia has been covering Ukraine for some time with even reinforced drone and rocket attacks. At the beginning of the week, the most extensive Russian drone attack had even been reported since the beginning of the war: According to the Ukrainian information, 479 types of Shahed and their dummies were used-as well as four Kinschal hyperschallrakets, 14 different marching aircraft and two air-floor rockets of the type CH-31.

According to the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj, the increased attacks are not a reaction to the coup at the beginning of the month when the Ukrainians succeeded in a sensational blow to the strategic bomber fleet of Russia. The trend is steady and rather witnesses that Russia is not interested in peace.

Since the USA under President Donald Trump has gone at a distance from Ukraine and further support is not certain, Pistorius and his British counterpart John Healey have taken on a leadership role in military aid.

At a meeting in Brussels, Pistorius took a new attempt for international reinforcement and maintaining Ukrainian air defense. Another focus is the so -called electromagnetic struggle. It is about ensuring Ukrainian communication, the education and disorder of Russian communication as well as drone defense.

During Selenskyj’s recent visit to Berlin and his meeting with Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) it was talked about what five billion euros in help from Germany can be used. Germany is still the largest supporter of the country in Europe, said the military chief coordinator of the German Ukraine-Hilfe, Christian Freding, “in demand” in the Bundeswehr format.

The Major General, the head of the planning and management staff in the Department of Defense, also gave the focus of further German help: air defense, maintenance ability in ammunition and repair, also communication skills such as satellite internet. In addition, there is direct financing of Ukrainian weapons production, from which NATO countries should later benefit.

Supporters of Ukraine make it clear that they remember the country fully in the difficult situation. In the last direct conversations, Russia mentioned conditions for an armistice that equal to a dictation peace, said Freuding. For example, it was required that Ukraine retreated from its own areas that are contrary to international law. Then all the defense positions would have come to Russian hands.

Russia has also asked that Ukraine submit a neutrality requirement, i.e. the free choice of an alliance and access to NATO. Russia also wants to impose a limitation on the armor and strength of the armed forces to the Ukrainians, “which they would de -defense,” says Freuding. As understandable as the desire for peace may be, “these conditions are not acceptable”.