Ukrainian Defense Minister from Germany (Twitter)
It was German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht’s first trip to Ukraine since Russia’s incursion in February, when Kiev pleaded with Berlin to supply battle tanks.
Without specifying how long the trip took, the German Defense Ministry stated in a statement that Lambrecht visited the southern port city of Odessa. She noted on Twitter that she had spoken with Oleksiy Reznikov, her counterpart from Ukraine.
No NATO member has yet sent Western fighting tanks to Kiev.
Ukraine has frequently asked Germany for Leopard tanks to aid in its counteroffensive against Russia, but Chancellor Olaf Schultz’s administration has so far refused.
Schulz declared that he did not want to handle arm supply alone and that he would only make choices after consulting with his Western friends.
Berlin instead made agreements with non-EU nations that provide Ukraine with supplies in exchange for the transfer of heavy weapons.
A day after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the annexation of the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson, allies of Ukraine unanimously denounced the annexations. This is when Lambrecht pays a visit.
According to a spokeswoman for German Chancellor Steffen Hebestreet, Schulz said to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the phone on Wednesday that “Germany will never recognise the results of sham referendums” in the four regions.
A surprise visit by the German defence minister to Ukraine
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