Vice-Chancellor of Germany pays surprise visit to Kyiv

German Vice-Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck began a surprise visit to Kyiv on Thursday, Report informs via Interfax.

Upon arrival, Robert Habeck stated that it was not an emergency visit. He added that Germany would support Ukraine as long as needed, the Bild newspaper writes.

This is Habeck’s second visit to Ukraine since the full-scale war initiated by Russia.

A delegation of business representatives also arrived in Kyiv with the vice-chancellor.

The topics of the negotiations in Kyiv are the state of the Ukrainian energy infrastructure, emergency assistance, strengthening the economy, and economic relations between Germany and Ukraine.

In particular, Helmut Rauch, CEO of Diehl Defense, came with Habeck. Diehl Defense produces the IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft missile systems. Rauch told Bild that three of these air defense systems are already in Ukraine, and “further deliveries will be this year; the next unit will arrive in a few weeks.”