German FM vows 'rock-solid' support on Ukraine visit

KIEV

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, speaks during a news conference at the German Embassy in Dekwaneh, northern Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday vowed Western allies will keep up support for Ukraine as she arrived for her eighth visit to Kyiv since Russia's full-scale invasion.

The visit comes one day ahead of U.S. elections that could herald the return of Donald Trump to the White House.

"Germany, together with many partners worldwide, stands rock-solid by Ukraine's side," Baerbock said in a statement as Ukraine heads into its third winter at war.

"We will support the people of Ukraine for as long as they need us so they can follow their path to a just peace."

U.S. President Joe Biden has vowed to continue backing Ukraine but a Trump victory would likely mean less support from Kyiv's biggest military backer.

Baerbock stressed the importance of protecting Ukraine's energy infrastructure from destruction during the winter.

She said Germany was helping counter the "brutality" of Russia's campaign with "humanity and support, so that the Ukrainians not only survive the winter, but their country can survive."

Germany, Ukraine's second-biggest backer after the United States, has pledged 170 million euros in emergency aid to help the country get through the winter.

Ukraine has long been asking Germany to provide it with long-range Taurus missiles, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has refused to do so due to fears of escalating and widening the conflict.

Scholz has also rejected Ukraine's request to immediately join NATO, made by President Volodymyr Zelensky when he recently presented his "Victory Plan" to Western allies.