The German chancellor’s visit to Kyiv can safely be filed under the heading of “reliable diplomacy.” Since early 2016, when Angela Merkel committed Germany to long-term engagement with Ukraine by supporting the second Minsk peace agreement, there’s been plenty of contact between the countries’ leaders, in person and on the phone. Berlin and the majority of its EU partners have condemned both Russia’s annexation of Crimea – illegal under international law – and its military campaign in eastern Ukraine. The United States has even gone so far as to supply arms to the Ukrainian army.
Deutsche Welle: Poroshenko’s promises, Merkel’s disappointment
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (L) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel speak as they walk in front of a guard of honour during a welcoming ceremony before their meeting in Kyiv on Nov. 1, 2018.
