German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said that his upcoming visit to Ukraine, together with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, is called to demonstrate support for Kyiv from Berlin and Paris after President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky's taking office.

"It was important for me to go to Kyiv together with my French colleague right after President Zelensky assumed the office in order to clarify that Germany and France are not reducing their support for Ukraine, but quite the opposite," said Maas before his departure to Kyiv on Thursday, the website of the German Foreign Ministry said.

According to the head of the German Foreign Ministry, Ukrainians have high hopes for the new president. "We want to offer our support to President Zelensky in the realization of these hopes. This will require further reforms, especially in the fight against corruption," said Maas.

He also stressed that the residents of Donbas need peace. "The impetus of these elections can provide an opportunity to break the deadlock and, finally, implement the peace plan of the Minsk agreements," the minister said, adding that Germany and France want to do everything possible to help resolve the conflict.

"We will also demand a constructive contribution from the Russian side," Maas added.

As reported, Foreign Ministers of Germany and France, Maas and Drian, on Thursday, May 30, pay a joint visit to Ukraine. It is expected that a meeting of the president of Ukraine with the heads of foreign ministries of Germany and France will be held in Kyiv.

Germany and France, together with Ukraine and Russia, are participating in negotiations in the "Normandy format" to resolve the armed conflict in Donbas.