The parliamentary leaders of the parties in Germany's ruling coalition - Jens Spahn of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc and Matthias Mirsch of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) - arrived in Ukraine this morning to visit Ukraine in a show of solidarity with the country, DPA reported.
In Kiev, the two will hold talks on Germany's continued support for Ukraine and diplomatic efforts to end the war.
During his train journey from Poland to Kiev, Spahn told reporters that the visit underscores that not only the government, but also the parliamentary and coalition majority stand firmly behind Ukraine.
Mirsch called the trip a “clear signal of support“ and stressed the importance of sending a joint message.
Like other foreign visitors, the delegation traveled by train because of Ukraine's closed airspace. Along the way, the two German leaders stopped in the Polish city of Rzeszow to meet with German soldiers operating two Patriot air defense systems that guard the local airport, a key hub for Western weapons supplies to Ukraine.
The trip is also intended to demonstrate in Germany the unity of the coalition, which has had a rocky start, DPA noted.
Last week, the parliamentary groups of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), together with the SPD, held a joint seminar. At the end of the meeting, Mirsch said that "something has emerged" between him and Spahn that allows them to make real progress together.
Spahn added that their visit to Kiev was also a message to the Kremlin, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin is the one who wants war and refuses peace.
"If Putin does not sit at the negotiating table, Germany is ready to continue to support Ukraine militarily," he said.