German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Monday, August 14, that his country stands "side by side" with Ukraine, as he visited Kiev for the first time since the beginning of the war, reports Radio Free Europe.
Lindner, whose trip was not announced in advance, said upon arrival that he would hold "very specific" talks with Ukrainian officials about how the German Finance Ministry can support Ukraine now and in the future.
"We stand with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder," Lindner told reporters.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Germany has provided about 22 billion euros ($24 billion) in humanitarian, financial and military aid to Ukraine, Lindner said.
"Ukraine must not lose this war," the minister added.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal later wrote on the Telegram messaging app that he had an "important meeting" with Lindner in Kiev and thanked the German government for its support.
During the conversation, Lindner emphasized "that Germany will continue to support Ukraine, and our cooperation projects will be long-term," Schmihal said.
The two countries are already working on five investment projects worth around 247 million euros, and are considering three more projects with a total value of more than 70 million euros, Šmihal added.
"We expect the participation of German business" in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, he said.
"I emphasized that it is necessary to strengthen the sanctions against the Russian Federation and to confiscate Russian property, which will be the main source of financing for reconstruction," added Šmihal.
The German and Ukrainian finance ministries later issued a joint statement pledging to strengthen cooperation, which also said Berlin would aim to support Ukraine in its bid to join the European Union.
Ukraine was granted candidate status for EU membership last year as a sign of support after Moscow's invasion.
Lindner's visit comes at a time when Germany is under increasing pressure from Ukraine to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles to boost its counteroffensive against Russian troops, writes AFP.
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