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Germany–Ukraine relations

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Germany–Ukraine relations
Map indicating locations of Germany and Ukraine

Germany
Ukraine
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Germany, KyivEmbassy of Ukraine, Berlin
Envoy
Ambassador Anka FeldhusenAmbassador Oleksiy Makeyev

Germany–Ukraine relations are foreign relations between Germany and Ukraine. Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Germany originally were established in 1918 as between Ukrainian People's Republic and German Empire, but were discontinued soon thereafter due to occupation of Ukraine by the Red Army. Current relations were resumed in 1989 at a consulate level, and in 1992 as full-scale diplomatic mission. Germany supports Ukraine's European Union and NATO membership, and helps it to grow a "strong, climate-friendly economy".[1]

History

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1918–1990

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In 1918, in the aftermath of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, German troops provided military assistance to Ukraine against Soviet Russia. The German military administration was instrumental in Pavlo Skoropadskyi coup against the Ukrainian People's Republic (April 1918) and the establishment of the short-lived Ukrainian State. The first German Ambassador to Ukraine was Alfons Mumm von Schwarzenstein, whereas the first Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany was Oleksandr Sevriuk (as Chargé d'affaires) who was replaced with Teodor Shteingel.

German troops entering Kharkiv in 1941

During World War II, German troops (with the help of Italians, Romanians, and Hungarians) occupied most of Soviet Ukraine (including Soviet-occupied southeastern Poland) from 1941 to 1944, portioning the territory between the General Government and Reichskommissariat Ukraine. OUN's Ukrainian Insurgent Army alternated between fighting the Germans and accepting their help against the Soviets. Herbert Backe formulated the Hunger Plan, intended to conduct large-scale confiscation of Ukrainian agricultural crops to feed the German military and civilians, and at the same time deliberately starve a sizeable portion of the Ukrainian population.[2] Although it was not fully implemented, part of the population of Kyiv and Kharkiv was starved to death.[2] The German Generalplan Ost anticipated mass expulsion of the population and German colonization in accordance with the Lebensraum policy.[3]

Following the war, from 1944 to the 1950s, surviving OUN leaders found refuge in the US occupation zone of Germany, which became home to many Ukrainian displaced persons. In 1953, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (then called "Radio Liberation") started its operations in Munich, broadcasting to Ukraine in Ukrainian language. In 1959, Stepan Bandera was killed in Munich by a Soviet agent.

1990–2014

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In 1991, Germany opposed Ukrainian independence and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, according to archived German Foreign Ministry files released in 2022.[4] In November 1991, facing the imminent dissolution of the Soviet Union, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl offered Russia to "exert influence on the Ukrainian leadership" for it to join a proposed confederation with Russia.[4] Germany changed its stance only when Ukrainian independence became inevitable after the independence referendum held in December 1991, and then recognized Ukraine.[4]

During the Russo-Ukrainian War (2014–present)

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The German Wandel durch Handel (aka Ostpolitik) policy was dramatically shaken after 2014 as Russia threatened Ukraine, seized Crimea, and sponsored fighting in eastern Ukraine;[5] Angela Merkel led the Normandy format discussions aimed at halting the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin.[6][7] Germany stopped all sales of weapons to Ukraine, officially due to the long-standing policy of never sending weapons to conflict zones.[8][9] Berlin denounced Moscow's actions as a violation of international law, and took a leadership role in formulating EU sanctions. However, Germany depended heavily on Russian energy supplies via the Nord Stream pipeline, so it proceeded cautiously and opposed American efforts to cancel Nord Stream.[8]

Germany and France both exerted substantial influence in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and in February 2015 these resulted in a ceasefire known as the Minsk II agreement.[9] In July 2015 Germany loaned 500mn euro to Ukraine to help rebuild eastern Ukraine's infrastructure.[10][11]

In June 2016 Germany contributed euro 6mn to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to continue to provide food assistance to more than 200,000 people affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine.[12]

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Ukraine in May 2018

In July 2018, the planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany was opposed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.[13]

As of 2019 Germany was reported to be the third-largest donor to Ukraine, after the US and EU. The German Foreign Ministry indicated that since 2014, Germany had contributed almost €1.2 billion of funding to Ukraine as well as another €200 million via EU contributions.[14]

In December 2021 four days after Merkel had left office, Germany blocked arms supplies to Ukraine during the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis.[15] In January 2022 after new chancellor Olaf Scholz had blocked an Estonian shipment of German-made arms to Ukraine,[16] Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba criticised the German government for upholding the long-standing policy of not sending weapons into conflicted regions. Germany had stopped such exports to Ukraine in 2014. He stressed that while he respects Germany's reasoning for upholding their policy in reference to their past he "could not agree to it".[17] Also in January, the German ambassador to Ukraine Anka Feldhusen was summoned to Ukraine's foreign ministry over comments by German navy chief Kay-Achim Schönbach; vice admiral Schönbach resigned as a result.[18] Germany offered 5,000 helmets to Ukraine. The offer was ridiculed and the transfer was delayed.[19][20] In February, Annalena Baerbock as a representative of Germany's foreign ministry requested German citizens to urgently leave Ukraine as Russia poised to invade Ukraine, Furthermore, after G7 meeting, she assured the united support by the group for Ukraine.[21]

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, 16 June 2022

On February 26, 2022 (two days after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine had begun) Germany abandoned a long-standing policy of never sending weapons to conflict zones; it increased its support for Ukraine's fight against Russia, approving arms transfers to Kyiv in a policy reversal and agreeing to block Moscow's access to the SWIFT interbank system.[22] Germany has provided tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine.[23][24] In April 2022, Ukraine rejected a request for an official visit by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier[25][26] who is widely perceived in Ukraine as being pro-Russian owing to his support for Nord Stream 2 and past comments accusing NATO of "warmongering".[27]

In April 2022, Germany committed to sending armored anti-aircraft systems and armored vehicles to Ukraine.[28][29] The first three Flakpanzer Gepard arrived in Ukraine on 25 July 2022.[30] Thirty Gepards were delivered until 20 September 2022.[31] In May 2022, the German government committed to send seven PzH 2000 artillery pieces to Ukraine,[32][33] with five more from the Dutch government.[34] Ukrainian troops arrived in Germany five days later for training[35] and the Ukrainian government subsequently placed an order to purchase a further 100 PzH 2000 howitzers from Germany.[36] In January 2023, the German government resisted pressure from its NATO allies, especially the United States and Poland, to agree to provide Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine,[37][38] however it eventually agreed to send the tanks and also allowed Poland to send its Leopard 2 tanks.[39]

Diplomatic missions location

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Germany has an embassy in Kyiv and 1 Consulate-General in Donetsk (due to Russian aggression (War in Donbass) temporarily in Dnipro).[40][41]

Ukraine has an embassy in Berlin and 3 Consulates-General in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich.

Head of missions (1917–1920s)

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Germany
Ukraine
Soviets (representative of the Soviet government in Ukraine)

Resident diplomatic missions

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  • Embassy of Germany in Kyiv
    Embassy of Germany in Kyiv
  • Embassy of Ukraine in Berlin
    Embassy of Ukraine in Berlin

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Support for Ukraine in challenging times". Press and Information Office of the Federal Government of Germany. 14 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b Epstein, Catherine (27 January 2015). Nazi Germany: Confronting the Myths. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-118-29478-9.
  3. ^ Epstein, p. 144
  4. ^ a b c "Bonn-Moscow Ties: Newly Released Documents Shed Fresh Light on NATO's Eastward Expansion". Spiegel International. 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  5. ^ Daehnhardt, Patricia; Handl, Vladimír (2018). "Germany's Eastern Challenge and the Russia–Ukraine Crisis: A New Ostpolitik in the Making?". German Politics. 27 (4): 445–459. doi:10.1080/09644008.2018.1448385. S2CID 158178079.
  6. ^ SPECK, ULRICH (26 March 2015). "German Power and the Ukraine Conflict". Carnegie Europe.
  7. ^ Fix 2018.
  8. ^ a b Siddi, Marco (2016). "German foreign policy towards Russia in the aftermath of the Ukraine crisis: A new Ostpolitik?". Europe-Asia Studies. 68 (4): 665–677. doi:10.1080/09668136.2016.1173879. S2CID 156187733.
  9. ^ a b Kwiatkowska, Anna; Frymark, Kamil (18 February 2015). "Germany in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict: a political or a humanitarian mission?". Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW).
  10. ^ "Kiev Signs Memorandum With Berlin on Loan of 500 Million Euros". Sputnik News. 15 July 2015.
  11. ^ "Ukraine, Germany sign deal on 50 million euro loan to Kiev". Panorama.am. 1 August 2015.
  12. ^ "German Support Helps WFP Continue To Assist Conflict-Affected People In Ukraine". World Food Programme. 15 June 2016.
  13. ^ "Germany and Russia gas links: Trump is not only one to ask questions". The Guardian. 11 July 2018.
  14. ^ Brady, Kate (26 September 2019). "What does Germany do for Ukraine?". Deutsche Welle.
  15. ^ "Ukraine blames Germany for 'blocking' Nato weapons supply". Financial Times. 12 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Germany blocks Estonian arms exports to Ukraine: report". Deutsche Welle. 21 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Кулеба: українці десятиліттями пам'ятатимуть позицію Німеччини щодо зброї". Ukrayinska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 23 January 2022.
  18. ^ "German navy chief resigns amid diplomatic row with Kyiv". Politico. 22 January 2022.
  19. ^ ‘It's a joke’: Germany's offer of 5,000 helmets to Ukraine is met with disdain amid Russia invasion fears
  20. ^ The 5,000 helmets Germany offered Ukraine are finally on their way as it faces a Russian onslaught from 3 sidesl
  21. ^ "Germany asks citizens to leave Ukraine 'urgently'". Business Recorder. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  22. ^ M. Herszenhorn, David; Bayer, Lili; Burchard, Hans Von Der (26 February 2022). "Germany to send Ukraine weapons in historic shift on military aid". Politico. Politico. Politico. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  23. ^ "$113 billion: Where the US investment in Ukraine aid has gone". CNN. 21 September 2023.
  24. ^ "Ukraine aid: Where the money is coming from, in 4 charts". CNN. 20 March 2024.
  25. ^ "Ukraine snubs German president over past Russia links". theguardian.com. 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  26. ^ "Ukraine rejects official visit by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier". DW.COM. 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  27. ^ "German foreign minister accuses Nato of 'warmongering' with military exercises that could worsen tensions with Russia". The Independent. 18 June 2016.
  28. ^ Connolly, Kate (26 April 2022). "Germany to send anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine in policy shift". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  29. ^ "Germany to Send Anti-Aircraft Tanks to Ukraine in Policy Shift". Bloomberg. Bloomberg L.P. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  30. ^ Sabbagh, Dan (26 July 2022). "Can Ukrainian forces recapture Kherson from Russia?". the Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  31. ^ Bundesregierung (2022-09-20). "Militärische Unterstützungsleistungen für die Ukraine". Bundesregierung.de/ (in German). Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  32. ^ "Germany sends seven howitzers to Ukraine". POLITICO. 6 May 2022.
  33. ^ "Germany to send self-propelled howitzer artillery to Ukraine". DW News. 6 May 2022.
  34. ^ "Ukraine to get a dozen howitzers from Germany and the Netherlands". Defense News. 6 May 2022.
  35. ^ "Ukrainian troops arrive in Germany for howitzer training". Deutsche Welle. 11 May 2022.
  36. ^ Gebauer, Matthias; Traufetter, Gerald (28 July 2022). "(S+) Ukraine-Krieg: Berlin genehmigt Verkauf von 100 Panzerhaubitzen". Spiegel.de. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  37. ^ "Poland pressed Germany to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine". DW.com. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  38. ^ "Germany defies allies' pressure to send tanks to Ukraine". Financial Times. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  39. ^ "Germany agrees to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine". DAWN.COM. Reuters. 2023-01-25. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  40. ^ Consulate-General in Donetsk Archived 2018-01-19 at the Wayback Machine. Embassy of Germany in Ukraine.
  41. ^ "Consulate-General in Donetsk official website". Archived from the original on 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2016-09-09.

Bibliography

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  • Dembińska, Magdalena, and Frederic Mérand, eds. Cooperation and Conflict between Europe and Russia (Routledge, 2021).
  • Fix, Liana (2018). "The different 'shades' of German power: Germany and EU foreign policy during the Ukraine Conflict". German Politics. 27 (4): 498–515. doi:10.1080/09644008.2018.1448789. S2CID 158085065.
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