Baerbock calls for further international air support for Ukraine

In view of the heavy Russian attacks on the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has urgently called for further international air defence support for Ukraine.

"The situation is highly dramatic, not only with regard to Kharkiv, but also in many other places in Ukraine," Baerbock said on Friday before a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in the French city of Strasbourg. "We can clearly see how much Ukraine needs further support, especially in terms of air defence."

The situation in Kharkiv also shows how important it is that Russian supply routes can be cut, said the German foreign minister. This is why medium and long-range weapons systems are also necessary.

Baerbock said that Germany had provided another Patriot system as part of the international initiative for more air support for Ukraine that she had launched with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

Other countries had supplied important components for radar surveillance, for example, she said, adding that countries that did not have these air defence systems had provided over €1 billion ($1.09 billion).

"But it is clear that we need more large systems" such as Patriot batteries, demanded Baerbock. A number of European partners were examining whether they could deploy systems. "Others are not doing this publicly, but behind closed doors. That's why the initiative was so important," she said, adding: "What has come together is not enough. We see that every day."