Greens’ foreign policy spokesman Jurgen Trittin has called on Ukraine to withdraw the cancellation of a visit to Kiev by federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. “It doesn’t work that way,” Trittin’s editorial network told Germany (RND).
“The announcement of the now-re-elected German President as an undesirable figure is a major campaign victory for Vladimir Putin.” If you want to divide the Europeans, you have to do it like the President of Ukraine. “We expect Ukraine to withdraw it.”
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On Tuesday evening, it became clear that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky did not want to receive Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Kiev. The federal president’s planned trip to Ukraine has exploded.
In the past few days, Polish President Andrzej Duda has suggested a trip to the Ukrainian capital with the leaders of the Baltic states, “to send and establish a strong sign of common European solidarity with Ukraine,” Steinmeier said during his visit on Tuesday. Warsaw. “I was ready for it. But frankly – I have to take note of this – this is not what Kiev wants.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Steinmeier, an adviser to Zelensky’s chief executive Serhiy Leshchenko, said he had not been invited. No further comment from Kiev. As Tagesspiegel knew, there was a formal rejection at the ambassador level.
First, the “Built” newspaper announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky had rejected the federal president’s visit to Kiev. The newspaper wrote that this was due to Steinmeier’s close ties with Russia in recent years.
Instead, Ukraine is now inviting President Olaf Scholes (SPD) to Kiev. On Tuesday evening ProSieben and SAT.1 Ukrainian Ambassador to Berlin Andrij Melnyk said, “We also said that my president and government would be very happy if President Olaf Scholes went to Kiev.
There should be a visit on how Germany can help Ukraine with heavy weapons in the fight against Russia. “My president looks forward to it,” Melnick said.
From 1999 to 2005, he was President of the House of Lords, President of the Federal Reserve, and served as Union Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2009 and from 2013 to 2017. In his previous posts he pursued a policy that included Russia and supported the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. A week ago he admitted mistakes for the first time in his Russia policy and drew a “bitter balance”. He explained that he had made a mistake about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“My assessment was that Vladimir Putin would not accept the complete economic, political and moral devastation of his country by his imperial madness,” Steinmeier said. His adherence to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project is also clearly wrong. “We have caught the bridges that Russia no longer trusts and that our allies have warned us.”
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Ukraine’s ambassador to Berlin, Andrei Melnik, had previously met with the federal president. Harshly criticized He further added that in an interview with Tagesspiegel, he had “created a spider web of contacts with Russia for decades.” Mr. Melnick said he did not buy Steinmeier’s recognition. However, the sentences fell short of acknowledging Steinmeier’s error.
Surprise at cancellation
In Berlin, Ukraine’s actions came as a surprise. “The federal president is taking a clear and unequivocal position on the side of Ukraine,” a government spokesman stressed.
After his re-election, Steinmeier appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin: ‘Untie the noose around Ukraine’s!’ He further added that no country in the world has the right to destroy Ukraine’s self-determination and sovereignty. “Germany is one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters internationally, and is closely linked to the many years of service of the current federal president,” the spokesman continued.
SPD parliamentary group chairman Rolf Mützenich told the Rheinische Post that “the federal president’s visit to Kiev would have been a sign of a clear foreign policy for unity.” “I firmly believe that the visit of the Federal President could have underscored the continued support of our country,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ralph Steckner, the party’s former vice president, wrote on Twitter: “If our head of state had visited Ukraine, Putin’s would have expressed German solidarity with occupied Ukraine, especially since we offer enormous economic, political, humanitarian and military support.” There was no “political substance” in Steinmeier’s critique of Russia’s policy, Steckner continued. Errors such as over-reliance on Russian energy supplies will be fixed.
Hamburg SPD MP and Bundestag vice president Aydan Özoğuz also commented on the SMS service. “Ukraine demands everything from us, but does not want to see the federal leader,” she teases.
Kubiki criticizes the unloading
Deputy FDP leader Wolfgang Kubicki also criticized Steinmeier’s call. He has all the understanding of the political leadership in Ukraine. The country is struggling to survive. “But everything has its limitations. I do not think Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was well advised to reject such a visit, not only from Germany.” He told the German Press Agency.
Hart talks about “overload”
Union foreign policy expert Jன்rgen Hart (CDU) described Ukraine’s rejection of Steinmeier’s visit as a “serious strain” on relations between the two countries. President Olaf Scholes is due to summon Ukrainian President Volodymyr Gelensky today, Hart demanded at the ARD’s “Morgenmagazin” on Wednesday.
The broken journey was an embarrassment
For Steinmeier, the failure of the Kiev trip was a disgrace. He had already signaled Friday that he had a travel plan. “Of course I’m wondering when is the right time for my next visit to Kiev.” These plans are now obsolete. Despite the fact that Western politicians are now shaking hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky.
Government leaders from Poland, Great Britain, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia have already traveled to Kiev to strengthen Ukraine’s back in the fight against Russian aggression. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was there on Friday.
Three leading parliamentarians from the Traffic Light Coalition arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday from Germany – not the capital Kiev, but the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. There, Rada wanted to meet with Ukrainian parliamentarians – heads of committees for foreign affairs, defense and Europe – Michael Roth (SPD), Mary-Agnes Strock-Zimmerman (FDP) and Anton Hoffrieder (Greens). All three politicians had recently said that more speed was needed in arms distribution. These are the highest-ranking German politicians to visit Ukraine since the war began seven weeks ago. (with dpa)
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