German Foreign Minister Analena Berbock announced today the allocation of an additional 200 million euro in support of the Ukrainians during the third winter of the war, against the background of the ongoing Russian attacks against the Ukrainian infrastructure, DPA reported, citing her statement during her visit to Kyiv, quoted by BTA.
The money will be used to enable homes near the frontline without energy supplies to receive fuel. “Ukrainians will be provided with essential goods, such as blankets and warm winter coats to protect them from the low temperatures,” Berbok said at a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sibikha in the Ukrainian capital.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is now seeking military aid from North Korea and is redoubling his efforts in eastern Ukraine, Germany's top diplomat added.
He has deliberately targeted attacks on vital sites across the country, bombing power plants and destroying power lines in what Berbok described as a treacherous strategy as nearly two-thirds of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been destroyed, leaving people without electricity and heating , DPA notes.
The additional humanitarian aid is not support for the energy sector, but is intended to take emergency measures to support the population during the winter, such as the provision of solid fuels for homes near the front line, insulation, winter clothing, blankets and cash aid.
With this financial support, German aid to Ukraine for humanitarian purposes – like demining – reaches 390 million euros, DPA notes.
Sibiga also discussed the situation with North Korean soldiers with Berbok, and the Ukrainian first diplomat emphasized the “need for decisive action” in response to their participation in the war in Ukraine, notes Reuters.
„We call on Europe to realize that the troops of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are currently waging an aggressive war in Europe against a sovereign European state,” he said at a briefing after the meeting with Berbok.
The United States claims that North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to Russia who are ready to join the war in Ukraine on the side of Moscow. Russia has neither confirmed nor denied these claims, notes Reuters.