Berlin: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul reaffirmed Berlin’s support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday after US President Donald
Trump called for his removal. Wadephul also called for increased pressure on Russia to bring Moscow back to peace negotiations. Wadephul said Germany would continue to stand by Ukraine and its government, expressing full support for Zelenskyy as he navigates the challenges of leading the country. The German foreign minister made these comments at a leadership meeting of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU). On Saturday, Trump had called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s removal and highlighted Berlin’s growing rift with Washington. Trump, who last week announced a diesel supply deal with Russia, called for Ukraine to replace Zelenskyy and criticised Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil infrastructure. Germany, the biggest European donor to Ukraine, said on Saturday that it would maintain sanctions against Russia despite Trump’s announcement that his administration had temporarily lifted US sanctions on Russian fuel. Wadephul, who met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, said “consistency and clarity” were needed to support Ukraine and bring Moscow to the negotiating table. “We don’t need less pressure, we need more pressure on Putin to make him be ready to negotiate,” Wadephul said. “That is what this moment requires, and that’s what the government stands for,” he added. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham spoke with Zelenskyy on Saturday and told him that the UK would continue to strengthen its sanctions on Russia, a Downing Street spokesperson said. Last week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Ukraine and announced an additional €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in military aid for the war-torn European nation. He said Germany would not waver in its support for the country, even as Russian drones struck the capital during his visit. At a joint press conference with Zelenskyy, Merz said Moscow was trying to wear down the spirit of the Ukrainian people. He described Germany as Ukraine’s strongest supporter and earmarked €350 million from the new aid package for repairs to the energy sector. Merz further added that the assistance was not only about protecting Ukraine’s borders.
