A significant meeting was held in Berlin between Pavel Vugelman, the Deputy Mayor of Odessa, and Roman Schwartzman, the head of the Association of Jewish Former Ghetto Prisoners, with the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. 

The Odessa delegation is in Germany for an official visit commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Oswiecim. Today, very few who experienced the horrors of National Socialism are still alive. 

Roman Markovich Schwartzman, an Odessa native who survived the ghetto, shared his survival story during World War II, discussing the Soviet government's attitude towards Jews and life in modern Ukraine. 

“I am grateful to you and the German Bundestag for the opportunity to tell the world my story and honor the memory of those we lost. Your support for Ukraine and Odessa is very important to me,” said Roman Schwartzman.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the current situation in Odessa, the importance of preserving memory, and Ukraine's needs, particularly for protecting civilians and infrastructure, as well as reclaiming its territories. 

Frank-Walter Steinmeier assured that Germany supports Ukraine in this horrific war waged against the Ukrainian nation, noting that democracy needs protection today.