German Foreign Minister Analena Berbock said that Ukraine needs support to ensure its survival. Berlin's top diplomat said this ahead of the eastern European country's third winter at war, further aggravated by North Korea's aid to Moscow and massive Russian airstrikes on civilian infrastructure, Reuters reported.
"We oppose this cruelty with our humanity and support so that Ukrainians not only survive the winter, but also so that their country survives," Berbok said after arriving in Kyiv earlier today for his eighth visit to Ukraine.
The German foreign minister, who was last in Ukraine in May, is expected to meet with her Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sibyga while in the capital.
Berbock said Germany recently increased its emergency energy aid to Ukraine by another 170 million euros in response to the bombing of its thermal power plants and power grid.
Since August, Russia has stepped up its attacks against Ukraine. According to Kiev, this is based on an attempt by Moscow to destroy its critical infrastructure needed to provide heating in winter.
Russia will have to pay for the billions of euros in damage it caused, Berbok said, but until that happens, the Group of Seven (G-7) will support Kiev with loans of around $50 billion.