Germany’s foreign minister says air defences for Ukraine an ‘absolute priority’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock in Kyiv, Ukraine (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Sending air defence systems to Ukraine to help protect it from Russian cruise missiles, rockets and drones is an “absolute priority”, Germany’s foreign minister said in Kyiv on Tuesday after visiting a local power plant that was largely reduced to ruins by a recent barrage.

Annalena Baerbock said that what she called a “global initiative” launched by Germany to provide Ukraine with more air defence systems had raised nearly one billion euros (£853 million) – “but it is completely clear that even more is needed”, she said at a news conference with Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba.