Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has said the German security authorities are well prepared for Ukraine's participation in Euro 2024, as the team secured one of the last spots available at the European Football Championship on Tuesday.
Faeser told dpa that security measures are high and closely coordinated between the federal and state governments and the participating nations.
"We will do everything we can to protect the Ukrainian team and the fans. We are continuing our concentrated preparations. Our focus ranges from protection against hooligans and Islamists to the security of our networks against cyber attacks."
Faeser congratulated the Ukrainian team, who won their decisive qualifying match against Iceland 2-1 on Tuesday evening. Ukraine's participation in the European Championship sends out a signal that goes far beyond sport.
"Ukraine belongs to Europe. We are firmly on Ukraine's side. In Germany, we are protecting 1.1 million people who have fled Putin's murderous war of aggression. Like many Ukrainians, they will be cheering on their national team," she said.
Faeser had previously announced border checks during Euro 2024 this summer.
"We will carry out temporary border checks at all German borders during the tournament in order to prevent possible perpetrators of violence from entering the country," she told the Rheinische Post newspaper in remarks published late on Tuesday.
Faeser said this was necessary in order to provide the best possible protection for the major international event. The European Football Championship in Germany starts on June 14.