German Ambassador Concludes Diplomatic Mission in Ukraine
German Ambassador to Ukraine Heiko Toms is concluding his diplomatic mission. Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga held a farewell meeting with him and thanked him for his support of Ukraine and his contribution to the development of bilateral relations.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that in recent years, cooperation between Kyiv and Berlin has reached a new level, and Germany remains one of Ukraine’s key partners.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga met with German Ambassador Heiko Toms, who is concluding his diplomatic mission in Ukraine. The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced this on his Facebook page. According to Sibiga, recent years have been significant for Ukrainian-German relations. He noted that cooperation between the countries has strengthened considerably, and the partnership has reached a strategic level.
The minister recalled that one of the key steps was the holding of the first Ukrainian-German intergovernmental consultations at the leadership level. “We highly appreciate Heiko Tom’s personal contribution to strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and Germany during one of the most difficult periods in our history,” Sibiga wrote. The foreign minister also thanked Germany for its comprehensive support of Ukraine following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
According to him, Berlin plays an important role in providing political, military, energy, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Sybiga specifically noted Germany’s participation in the creation of the so-called “anti-ballistic coalition,” which helps strengthen Ukraine’s air defense system. In addition, the minister thanked the German side for its support of Ukraine’s European integration.
In particular, he noted Berlin’s assistance in advancing negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, including its support for opening the sixth negotiation cluster, “External Relations.” “I wished Heiko Toms success in his future diplomatic endeavors. I am sincerely grateful to Germany for its unwavering solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” the foreign minister said. It is expected that after completing his work in Kyiv, Heiko Toms will head the German Embassy in Spain.
Germany remains one of Ukraine’s closest partners among European nations. Since the start of the full-scale war, Berlin has been providing Ukraine with military, financial, humanitarian, and energy assistance, as well as supporting its bid for European Union membership. Sibiga wrote about this on Facebook.
Merz stated that the German government was not involved in secret negotiations with the Russians in Baku.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also confirmed that this secret meeting took place on July 12–14, noting that the country’s territory was used without the knowledge of the official Baku authorities. At the same time, Aliyev added that if such contacts were intended to help end the war, then such an initiative can only be welcomed.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that he considers his country’s time as part of the Russian Empire and the USSR to have been a colonial period. According to him, Azerbaijan did not have true independence at that time, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was able to prove that it could develop on its own. Aliyev also reiterated his support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
