Unannounced Arrival of Klingbeil in Kiev

Arrival of Klingbeil unexpectedly in Kiev comes to light

Germany's Vice-Chancellor in Ukraine to Discuss Peace Process Support and Security Guarantees

Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil is currently in Kyiv, Ukraine, to explore how Germany can support the country in a potential peace process. Klingbeil's visit comes after the latest Ukraine summit in Washington.

During his stay, Klingbeil aims to discuss security guarantees and financial aid with representatives of the Ukrainian government, parliament, and civil society. The SPD considers the debate on sending German soldiers to Ukraine for security guarantees against renewed Russian attacks as premature. They emphasize that security guarantees are needed if a ceasefire and peace agreement are reached, but German participation can only be discussed once it is clear that the USA is also involved.

Ukraine's annual financial needs remain high, with a projected need of around 38.5 billion euros in 2026 to finance the budget. To address this, around 25 billion euros of the German support have been allocated for the accommodation of refugees from Ukraine. Additionally, more than 118 billion euros in foreign financial funds have flowed into the Ukrainian budget since the start of the war. More than 40 percent of Ukraine's budgetary needs are covered by loans and aid payments from abroad.

In terms of military support, 17 billion euros have been allocated, while 6.7 billion euros have been set aside for civilian support. The bilateral military support is planned to be maintained at a high level of more than eight billion euros per year until 2027.

Klingbeil reaffirmed Germany's commitment to Ukraine, stating that it remains the second-largest and largest supporter of Ukraine worldwide. He also assured Ukraine that it can continue to rely on Germany's support. Klingbeil demanded that Russia end its war of aggression and called for a ceasefire during negotiations.

According to the chairwoman of the parliamentary budget committee, Roxolana Pidlasa, these figures were not provided in the earlier bullet points. However, it is important to note that there is no unified position in Germany on whether soldiers should participate in possible security guarantees against renewed Russian attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects security guarantees for the post-war period to be agreed upon in the coming days. Reliable security guarantees are considered essential for Ukraine to make concessions in negotiations with Russia. Germany and its partners are working to determine and implement these security guarantees.

Klingbeil's visit includes meetings with various Ukrainian officials and representatives of civil society. The discussions are aimed at finding ways to support Ukraine in its pursuit of peace and stability. The total value of bilateral support provided by the German government to Ukraine since the invasion in February 2022 amounts to approximately 50.5 billion euros.