Zelensky praises cooperation between Ukrainian, German communities
Cooperation between the communities of Ukraine and Germany will allow not only to ensure economic growth, but also to ensure better protection of the Ukrainian people.
This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who addressed the German-Ukrainian conference of municipal partnerships, the President's press service reports, according to Ukrinform.
"We value life. And that is why we protect it. And it is fundamental that we use to this end not only those tools that are available at the state level. The potential of our communities, our intercity and interpersonal connections can and must add significant strength to our protection," said the president.
He emphasized that representatives from very different cities and communities of our two countries are present at the conference, and no matter how different they are, they are united by one fundamental thing, namely, the European attitude toward people.
"In our cities and communities, there should be no place for the opposite attitude toward people and life – anti-European one, the attitude that Russia demonstrates in the occupied territory of Ukraine," Zelensky said.
He drew attention to the fact that after last year’s Ukraine visit of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the number of intercity partnerships almost doubled.
"Today we have 190 such partnerships. There are already six interregional partnerships. There is also Germany's patronage for the restoration of Chernihiv region in Ukraine, the region where the village of Yahidne is located (a village where the Russian occupiers held 350 residents in the basement for almost a month - ed.). And I thank everyone whose efforts fill our partnerships with concrete meaning," the head of state emphasized.
He expressed his gratitude to such German cities and communities as Eichenau, Augsburg, Bergisch Gladbach, Waldkirch, Hanover, Erlangen, Jena, Dresden, Cologne, Leverkusen, Nuremberg, Potsdam, Schweinfurt, and many others, which are already directly helping Ukrainian cities, including with power generators, fire engines, buses, and other equipment.
The president also recalled that together with German companies, modular towns were set up for internally displaced persons whose homes were destroyed amid hostilities, and joint work with German cities, companies, and funds to modernize energy capacities in various regions of Ukraine is ongoing.
"I thank you very much for this! And I hope that the participation of Ukrainian mayors in this conference will also be fruitful," Zelensky said.
He also noted that Ukraine is now facing the second winter of this war, while Russia is stocking up on missiles for strikes targeting Ukraine's energy sector, as was the case last year. According to the president, Germany is already massively helping Ukraine with air defense systems and other weapons to help the country defend itself. "And along with this, every agreement between the cities of our countries, which is aimed at protecting people and life, will definitely serve to protect life," he emphasized.
The president expressed his belief that the representatives of Ukrainian cities can also point to opportunities for joint economic work that are currently available in Ukraine. And this is not only about the reconstruction of what has been destroyed by Russia, but also about the founding of new enterprises.
"Against all odds, Ukraine now delivers economic growth – almost 5% annually. And this is evidence of how strong our way of life is and how much our people are capable of doing," Zelensky said.
He expressed confidence that relations between Ukraine and Germany will become one of the most reliable pillars of the whole of Europe: security, economic, and social, and especially once Ukraine becomes a full-fledged part of the European Union.
"I am proud of all the examples of our cooperation and sincerely wish all of you success in the development of relations between cities, between regions, between the self-government of our countries. The closer we are - Ukraine and Germany - the further from the realization is Putin's mad goal to destroy normal human life in Ukraine and other countries neighboring Russia," the head of state said.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, since the outset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, German has provided military aid to Urkaine in the amount of over EUR 17.09 billion.
German Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Jaeger announced recently that Germany would hand over to Urkaine another two IRIS-T surface-to-air missile systems by year-end.