If the German minister reiterated her country's support for Ukraine, which has been facing the Russian invasion for almost three years, she did not publicly give concrete responses to kyiv's grievances. This eighth trip by Ms. Baerbock to Ukraine since the start of the large-scale Russian attack comes at a critical time.
The head of German diplomacy Annalena Baerbock (L) during a joint press conference with her Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiga (D) in kyiv on November 4, 2024 – Anatolii STEPANOV – kyiv (AFP)
The Ukrainian army, lacking men and ammunition, in particular due to delays in Western aid, has been retreating for months on the ground. According to kyiv and its allies, it must now also face North Korean soldiers.
Monday, November 4 evening, Volodymyr Zelensky affirmed that 11,000 soldiers sent by Pyongyang were in the Kursk region, bordering Ukraine, where the Kremlin has been trying to repel an offensive by kyiv forces since August, which dozens of localities have been seized there. “We see an increase in the number of North Koreans but no increase in the reaction of our Western partners,” lamented the Ukrainian president in his daily address.
Salutations. During a press conference with her Ukrainian counterpart Andriï Sybiga, Annalena Baerbock for her part only mentioned the military “aid” received by Moscow from North Korea, without further declarations. “I know how frightening certain debates in Germany seem in your countries”, while “some of my compatriots doubt German support” for Ukraine, admitted Ms Baerbock.
“This is why I repeat it very clearly (…) we stand firmly by your side as long as you need us,” she stressed. A sign of an ever more visible alliance, Russian President Vladimir Putin received the head of North Korean diplomacy, Choe Son Hui, at the Kremlin on Monday, who conveyed “very sincere” greetings from leader Kim Jong- A.
Moscow and Pyongyang, however, have neither confirmed nor denied the presence of these troops in Russia. Volodymyr Zelensky had already castigated the West last week for its “zero” response to the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia.
Photo distributed by Russian state news agency Sputnik showing Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui (R) in Moscow on November 4, 2024 – Mikhail TERESHCHENKO – Moscow (AFP )
Observation. Ukraine sees “all the sites where Russia gathers these North Korean soldiers on its territory” and could strike them if it had the weapons and the authorization to use them, he declared on Saturday, November 2. But instead of acting, “America is watching, Britain is watching, Germany is watching. Everyone is waiting for the North Korean army to start hitting the Ukrainians,” the head of state fumed.
Germany is Ukraine's second largest provider of financial aid for defense after the United States, but kyiv is annoyed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's repeated refusal to support its NATO membership and deliver missiles long-range Taurus, for fear of an escalation of the conflict. On Monday, November 4, its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, did not respond to this request from kyiv to authorize deep strikes in Russia with long-range weapons.
For his part, the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration Andriy Iermak, on Telegram, also affirmed that North Koreans were present in the Kursk region and that, according to him, “they will die”. At the same time, the Russian army has accelerated its territorial gains in eastern Ukraine where it has had the initiative for a year.
Presidential. Russia conquered a total of 610 km2 of Ukrainian territory in October, the largest monthly gain since March 2022, according to an AFP analysis on Monday, based on data from the American Institute for the Study of war (ISW). Over this last month, Russia is advancing on average by 22 km2 each day, according to this source, its highest rate since July 2022.
Ukraine is also anxiously awaiting Tuesday's American presidential election, fearing that military aid will dry up in the event of a victory for Republican candidate Donald Trump against his Democratic rival Kamala Harris. The Ukrainians are afraid that Donald Trump will force them to negotiate with Russia under conditions very favorable to Moscow.
“There can be no negotiations based on coercion. Negotiations that would be done over your head and that of Europe,” Annalena Baerbock assured Monday, without mentioning Mr. Trump directly. “Above all, as sad and bitter as it is, Putin shows no signs of wanting to negotiate,” she added.
Barbara WOJAZER
© Agence France-Presse
