German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock declared her solidarity with the Ukrainian people and said Russian President Vladimir Putin was driving his country to ruin, in comments ahead of diplomatic meetings on Friday.
"We will never abandon the Ukrainian people to their fate," she said just before flying to a meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO, the G-7 and European Union.
Baerbock said people would be provided with urgent humanitarian assistance and other material support, adding that the unprecedented sanctions on Russia would be implemented fully and consistently.
She underlined that the only thing Putin is achieving with his war is incalculable suffering on all sides.
"Just as we recently did in New York, we will continue to show him, economically and politically, that he must expect closed trade and global isolation for Russia if he continues down this route. His war against Ukraine is also bringing ruin upon his own country."
There is no question as to Putin's ultimate objective – the whole of Ukraine – Baerbock said. "For him, it's a perfidious game – for the people in Ukraine it's a fight just to stay alive."
