Wadephul visits Kyiv ahead of Independence Day: "Ukraine will win"

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul travelled to Kyiv ahead of Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day to reaffirm Berlin’s support and promise further aid as the country braces for winter, saying plainly: "We stand by Ukraine." ([auswaertiges-amt.de](https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/about-us/leadership-federal-foreign-office/foreign-minister-wadephul?utm_source=openai))

Speaking after his arrival, Wadephul insisted that "Ukraine will win this military conflict" and highlighted the intensity of Russian strikes during the summer months, which he described as the most violent directed at civilians in more than four years.

Preparations for winter and closer coordination with partners

The minister said Germany would supply generators, spare parts and measures to protect critical infrastructure in anticipation of renewed attacks on energy systems this winter. He also accused Moscow of "increasingly incoherent propaganda and increasingly totalitarian repression," calling both signs of the regime's desperation. ([auswaertiges-amt.de](https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/about-us/leadership-federal-foreign-office/foreign-minister-wadephul?utm_source=openai))

Wadephul stressed continued close cooperation with France and the United Kingdom on support for Ukraine, and said he planned to speak next week with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about further diplomatic efforts toward peace. ([state.gov](https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/02/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-remarks-to-press-5?utm_source=openai))

At an event attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Wadephul an air-raid alert sounded in Kyiv; reports said Russian forces struck the Boryspil suburb with ballistic missiles. The international airport there has remained closed since the start of the war and lies less than 30 kilometres east of the capital.

Wadephul arrived in Kyiv on Saturday morning by a special train. The visit — his fourth since taking office 16 months ago — was kept unannounced for security reasons and details of his programme were withheld.

Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991; the independence anniversary and related ceremonies in Kyiv this year come as the country continues to confront large-scale Russian attacks on civilians and infrastructure.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)