Speeches

I have just signed a decree that gives effect to the National Security and Defense Council's decision on sanctions. These sanctions target the part of the Georgian government that is surrendering Georgia to Putin. This is the very issue that is fueling the protests in Georgia right now.

It is truly shameful – what actions they are taking against their own people. And when Moscow praises these authorities in Georgia, it clearly shows for whom they are now working in Tbilisi and for whom they are dispersing the protests.

The greater our army's firepower is, the more technological capabilities we have, the more effectively we can destroy Russia's offensive potential and protect our warriors' lives. And we are having detailed discussions with our partners on this issue. Moreover, we are working on our own – boosting our production, our Ukrainian defense industry.

During my meeting with the Chancellor, we agreed that Germany will continue to support Ukraine as needed, regardless of what happens in global politics or how sentiments may shift.

Security and genuine peace for all on the continent remains a top priority. In today’s talks, we focused on these priorities – joint opportunities to bolster our air defense and implement all existing agreements on defense support. We also discussed in detail how we can achieve greater progress in Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations next year.

This is something that will significantly support our guys at the front. We also see the willingness of the Nordic and Baltic states to increase investments in our defense industry, particularly in the production of our domestic drones. I am grateful for this!

Together with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, we decided that it was time to replace the Commander of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi has been appointed as the new Commander. Colonel Oleh Apostol – who previously commanded the 95th Air Assault Brigade. Colonel Pavlo Palisa, a combat commander and Commander of the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Brigade, has been appointed Deputy Head of the Office.

Right now, there may be even more attempts by Russia to spread fear and despair in Ukraine. We all need resilience to get through this. And we need unity with all our partners.

And it is crucial that the decisions made at the NATO Summit in Washington on air defense and other supplies to the frontline have not yet been fully implemented; we are looking forward to it, and this, of course, has a significant impact on our people's motivation and morale.

And the only effective way to protect ourselves from this is to eliminate Russian weapons and Russian launchers directly on Russian territory. That is why the ability to strike Russian territory is so important to us. This is the only factor that can limit Russian terror and Russia's capacity to wage war in general.