Which statement correctly initializes a variable in ABAP?

The selection of the statement that utilizes the VALUE keyword correctly initializes a variable in ABAP. In ABAP, the VALUE keyword is explicitly used to assign an initial value to a variable at the time of declaration. In this context, declaring a variable with TYPE I specifies that it is an integer type, and using VALUE 0 sets its initial value to zero.

This initialization method is preferred because it clearly communicates the intent of setting the variable's initial state and adheres to the language’s conventions for variable initialization, especially when dealing with data types that might have different default settings or behaviors.

Other options either imply initialization that lacks specificity or do not actually set an initial value. For instance, a statement that simply declares a variable without any initialization will result in a variable that is unassigned until explicit assignment occurs later in the program, which may lead to unexpected behaviors when the variable is utilized before being initialized. Thus, using the VALUE keyword enhances code clarity and reduces the risk of runtime errors related to uninitialized variables.