Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, reaffirming Western support for Ukraine. However, the delivery of promised weapons and ammunition from NATO countries, including Germany, has been slow, leaving Ukraine vulnerable to a recent Russian offensive along parts of the front line.
Baerbock urged Berlin's partners to provide more air defense systems as Russia continues to attack Ukraine with missiles, glide bombs, and rockets. Germany is currently the second-largest military aid supplier to Ukraine after the United States.
Ukrainian forces, facing a critical phase of the war, are struggling to repel a fierce Russian offensive along the eastern border as the conflict stretches into its third year. Despite Germany's recent pledge to supply a third U.S.-made Patriot battery, Ukrainian officials report a significant shortage of air defenses against the Russian assault.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Russian forces are concentrating their attacks on the eastern Donetsk province and the northeastern Kharkiv region, using explosive-laden glide bombs to devastate military and civilian areas. "This underscores the urgent need for additional air defense systems to protect our soldiers and communities," Zelenskyy stated on social media late Monday.
Although Zelenskyy maintains that Ukrainian forces control the contested areas, Russia claims to have captured several border villages. These battlefield claims could not be independently verified.
Baerbock had intended to visit Kharkiv on Tuesday, but the trip was canceled for security reasons, according to the German news agency dpa. Since Russia's offensive began on May 10, nearly 11,000 people have been evacuated from the Kharkiv border areas.
A Russian drone attack overnight targeted transport infrastructure in Kharkiv city, the regional capital, damaging over 25 vehicles and injuring seven people, reported regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov on Tuesday. Ukraine's general staff noted a slowdown in Russian attacks in Kharkiv on Monday, though fighting continues.
In Kyiv, Baerbock was scheduled to meet with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Germany has resisted Ukrainian requests to supply Taurus missiles, which have stealth technology and a range of up to 500 kilometers (300 miles). These missiles could reach deep into Russian territory from Ukraine, but Berlin fears that sending them could lead to direct involvement in the war.
This restriction prevents Ukraine from striking Russian forces and equipment massing across the border, a Washington-based think tank reported. The Institute for the Study of War stated, "These U.S. and Western policies are severely compromising Ukraine's ability to defend itself against current Russian offensive operations in northern Kharkiv or any area along the international border where Russian forces may choose to conduct operations in the future."
Baerbock emphasized that Ukraine's potential membership in the European Union is a "necessary geopolitical consequence of Russia’s illegal war of aggression." She praised Ukraine's "impressive progress" but stressed the need for continued reforms in the judicial system, anti-corruption measures, and media freedom.
Germany will host a reconstruction conference for Ukraine next month, with the rebuilding effort expected to cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
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