German Foreign Minister Assures Kyiv of Support on Visit Ahead of US Vote

04 November 2024, Ukraine, Kyiv: A screenshot from a video shows German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arriving in Ukraine and being welcomed by German Ambassador in Kyiv Martin Jaeger. (Jörg Blank/dpa)

09:31-4 November 2024 AD ـ 03 Jumada Al-Ula 1446 AH

German Foreign Minister Assures Kyiv of Support on Visit Ahead of US Vote

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Kyiv on Monday pledging Berlin's continued backing for Ukraine, amid disquiet over the future of Washington's support as the US election looms.

Baerbock said Ukraine, facing its third winter of war, needs support to ensure its very survival as North Korea's military involvement and Russian airstrikes on civilian infrastructure exacerbate the conflict.

Her visit comes on the eve of the US presidential election, in which a win for Republican candidate Donald Trump could cast doubt on future support from Ukraine's top military backer.

"We are countering this brutality with our humanity and support, so that Ukrainians can not only survive the winter, but so that their country can survive. Because they are also defending the freedom of all of us in Europe," said Baerbock, embarking on her eighth visit to Ukraine.

Germany has emerged as Ukraine's top donor of military aid in Europe and has closely coordinated its support with Washington.

However, if Trump beats Democrat Kamala Harris in Tuesday's election, this close coordination could falter. Trump has criticized the level of US support for Kyiv and declined to say he wants Ukraine to win the war, which he says he would end quickly by pushing for a negotiated settlement.

The German foreign minister, who was last in Ukraine in May, is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha while in the capital.

Baerbock said Germany had recently extended its emergency energy aid to Ukraine by an extra 170 million euros ($185 million) in response to bombed-out heating plants and power lines.

Since August, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine, in what Kyiv officials say is Moscow's attempt to destroy critical infrastructure needed for heating during winter.

Russia will have to pay for the billions of euros in damage it has caused, said Baerbock, but until that happens, the Group of Seven (G7) will support Kyiv with some $50 billion in loans.

Under incumbent President Joe Biden, the US finalised its $20-billion portion of that amount with a pledge to pay it out in December, timing meant to shield the loan funds from a potential claw-back from Trump.

Taiwan Demonstrates Sea Defenses against Potential Chinese Attack as Tensions Rise with Beijing

A Taiwan navy Tuo Chiang-class corvette(rear) and Kuang Hua VI-class missile boat (front) maneuver during a drill in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 09 January 2025. EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO

Asharq Al Awsat

08:27-9 January 2025 AD ـ 10 Rajab 1446 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

08:27-9 January 2025 AD ـ 10 Rajab 1446 AH

Taiwan Demonstrates Sea Defenses against Potential Chinese Attack as Tensions Rise with Beijing

A Taiwan navy Tuo Chiang-class corvette(rear) and Kuang Hua VI-class missile boat (front) maneuver during a drill in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 09 January 2025. EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO

Taiwan on Thursday demonstrated its sea defenses against a potential Chinese attack as tensions rise with Beijing, part of a multitiered strategy to deter an invasion from the mainland.
The island’s navy highlighted its Kuang Hua VI fast attack missile boats and Tuo Chiang-class corvettes in waters near Taiwan’s largest port of Kaohsiung, a major hub for international trade considered key to resupplying Chinese forces should they establish a beachhead on the island.
The Kuang Hua VI boats, with a crew of 19, carry indigenously developed Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles and displayed their ability to take to the sea in an emergency to intercept enemy ships about to cross the 44-kilometer (24-nautical mile) limit of Taiwan’s contiguous zone, within which governments are permitted to take defensive action.
China routinely sends ships and planes to challenge Taiwan’s willingness and ability to counter intruders, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets, activate missile systems and dispatch warships. Taiwan demanded on Wednesday that China end its ongoing military activity in nearby waters, which it said is undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and disrupting international shipping and trade.
Mountainous Taiwan's strategy is to counter the much larger Chinese military with a relatively flexible defense that can prevent Chinese troops from crossing the strait. Landing sites are few on Taiwan's west coast facing China, forcing Beijing to focus on the east coast.
Hsiao Shun-ming, captain of a Tuo Chiang-class corvette, said his ship’s relatively small size still allows it to “deliver a formidable competitive power” against larger Chinese ships. The Tuo Chiang has a catamaran design and boasts high speeds and considerable stealth ability.
Taiwan has in recent years reinvigorated its domestic defense industry, although it still relies heavily on US technology such as upgraded fighter jets, missiles, tanks and detection equipment. US law requires it to consider threats to the island as matters of “grave concern,” and American and allied forces are expected to be a major factor in any conflict.
Thursday's exercise “demonstrates the effectiveness of asymmetric warfare, and Taiwan’s commitment to defense self-reliance,” said Chen Ming-feng, rear admiral and commander of the navy’s 192 Fleet specializing in mine detection. “We are always ready to respond quickly and can handle any kind of maritime situation.”
China's authoritarian one-party Communist government has refused almost all communication with Taiwan's pro-independence governments since 2016, and some in Washington and elsewhere say Beijing is growing closer to taking military action.
China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, while most Taiwanese favor their de facto independence and democratic status.

German Foreign Minister Assures Kyiv of Support on Visit Ahead of US Vote