Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher visited Kiev on Monday in a show of support for the Ukrainian capital.
The German politician arrived in Kiev by train from Poland early on Monday, following an invitation from Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The trip had not been previously announced due to security reasons.
In April 2022, two months after the outbreak of the current conflict, the two mayors signed a "Pact for Solidarity and the Future."
Hamburg continues to stand firm with the people of Kiev, Tschentscher wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Our support must continue until the war is over and reconstruction can begin," he said.
Hamburg - like Berlin and Bremen - have the status of city-states in Germany, making Tschentscher officially the first German state premier to visit Kiev since the Russian invasion.
Tschentscher is expected to hold meetings with Klitschko, his brother Wladimir and representatives of the national government.
The mayor plans to visit an aid project for children traumatized by the war which was financed by donations from Hamburg. He will also give Kiev three public buses from the Hamburger Hochbahn network.
