Given the entrenched situation between the United States and Russia, it is absolutely pivotal for us Europeans to show that we stand alongside Ukraine without any ifs or buts and are supporting the country now more than ever. That is one reason why I have come to Ukraine today.

Putin wanted to conquer Kyiv and Ukraine in three days. After more than three years of the most brutal Russian aggression, it is blatantly obvious that Putin’s plan has failed. He has forced not just Ukraine but also Russia into a cruel war of attrition that he is not winning. On the contrary, even in the fourth year of war, the people in Ukraine are defending their independence and democracy with courage and determination.

At the same time, no-one yearns more for peace than the people in Ukraine. Ukraine is ready and willing to observe an immediate ceasefire. It is Putin who is playing for time, who does not want peace and who is continuing his illegal war of aggression. He feigns readiness to negotiate but does not deviate an inch from his agenda. We must not allow ourselves to be blinded by Putin and his claque. After all, there is more to peace than hinting at it. At the upcoming meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers, we will make plain also to the American side that we must not play along with Putin’s delaying tactics.

Also in this light, it is so important to be in Ukraine now and to underscore that the next Federal Government will also continue our support for Ukraine on a massive scale. Germany will not abandon the people in Ukraine – our European neighbours. The decision of the current and future governing parties to provide an additional 3 billion euro for short-term support for Ukraine and to earmark a further 8.25 billion euro for military support up until 2029 reflects this firm solidarity and close connection across the party-political spectrum. The historic amendment to our constitution is likewise a clear sign that we are serious about continuing our support for Ukraine and serious about European security.

Each and every day, Ukrainians continue to ward off the most brutal Russian attacks. Every night they defend their country against massive missile and drone attacks. And every morning the people in Ukraine find the courage to carry on. To carry so they can uphold as much normality as they can in the midst of a brutal war – for themselves and their families. Today we are making available a further 130 million euro in humanitarian assistance and stabilisation funds to help them do this.

The course we are charting now will shape the future of our continent for decades. We want to keep living in a Europe where the strength of the law is placed above the law of the strong. A Europe where people can determine their own future and armed force is not used to redraw borders. We as Europeans are bringing all our weight to bear here. We want a free and independent Ukraine as a new member of the European Union and will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the country on its road to reform.