Germany vows to take all Ukrainian refugees amid Russian invasion

Germany on Monday promised that it will take all refugees from Ukraine. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at a joint news conference with her Slovenian counterpart Anze Logar said that Berlin will provide more humanitarian help to Kyiv as Russia continues to capture major cities. 

Also read: US shuts down Minsk embassy, allows emergency employees to stay in Moscow

The statement comes as the United Nations estimated that  more than 500,000 people have already escaped the war-torn country. 

“We will take in all Ukrainians fleeing. We are helping fleeing people from Ukraine. We are standing at the borders to bring help to the people and to bring people to all European countries,” Baerbock said. 

Also read: ‘Have no illusions’: UN’s major bodies both meet on Ukraine

Long lines of cars and buses were backed up at checkpoints at the borders of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and non-EU member Moldova. Others crossed the borders on foot, dragging their possessions away from the war and into the security of the EU.

Baerbock and Logar were speaking ahead to the UN General Assembly session on Monday. The German minister asked  all countries who “believe in the Charta of the United Nations” to isolate the Russian leadership. 

“Today it is already the fifth day of Putin’s war against Ukraine and innocent people in Ukraine. He has brought incredible sufferings upon Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands are fleeing, millions fear for their lives and their future. As atrocious as these pictures are, they make us more decisive! Ukraine does not stand alone, Europe, the Western Union of Values firmly stands at the side of the brave Ukrainians,“ she said.

Germany had promised weapons to Ukraine on Saturday.

Also read: Switzerland forgoes ‘Swiss neutrality’ to impose sanctions on Russia

“Putin’s war has thrown us into a different era. We will re-evaluate previous certainties and therefore we will help Ukrainians with weapons and other equipment,” Baerbock added.

“These are not the refugees we are used to… these people are Europeans,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov told journalists earlier this week, of the Ukrainians. “These people are intelligent, they are educated people. … This is not the refugee wave we have been used to, people we were not sure about their identity, people with unclear pasts, who could have been even terrorists…”

“In other words,” he added, “there is not a single European country now which is afraid of the current wave of refugees.”