What a blow to the West, what a victory for Putin! Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (44) Uninvited German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (66) when he was already on his way to Kyiv.
Steinmeier wanted to travel by train to Kyiv with the heads of state of Poland and representatives of the three Baltic states in complete secrecy on Wednesday night and pay a solidarity visit to Silinsky.
On Tuesday, he flew to Warsaw to meet his counterparts. But in the Polish capital, he received a surprising refusal from Volodymyr Silinsky. When Bild newspaper reported – apparently at the request of Ukrainian diplomats – about it, the secret flight and Zelensky’s veto were revealed.
Then Steinmeier was forced to appear before the media in Warsaw. He said they wanted to send a “strong signal of European solidarity with Ukraine”. “And I was ready for it. But it is clear – and I must take note of this – that this was not what was needed in Kyiv.”
Very friendly to Russia
Zelensky Basket Background: Steinmeier’s Pro-Russian Policy. Steinmeier of the SPD used to have good contacts with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov (72) as foreign minister. It also stuck to the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline for a long time.
The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andrei Melnik (46), accused Steinmeier of capturing the Putin fortress in Berlin. The German president admitted last week that he was “wrong” in his assessment of Putin.
Klitschko is angry
Selinsky is now criticized for not inviting Steinmeier. German politicians of all parties express their “lack of understanding”, but they also point out frayed nerves. Even Chancellor Olaf Schultz, 63, whom Silinsky has now invited in place of Steinmeier, calls the cancellation “rather disturbing”.
But there are also criticisms of the president of Ukraine. “At the moment it is very important that Ukraine, along with Germany and the entire European Union, show a clear common front against the Russian invasion,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko (50) said in the Bild newspaper.
“Insult weakens support”
Russian expert Ulrich Schmid, 56, of the HSG in St Gallen, considers Silinsky’s decision “unwise”. “Ukraine needs all allies right now. A diplomatic insult by one of the most important countries in the European Union is weakening support for Ukraine in Europe. ”
Schmid assumes that Silinsky wants to send an internal political signal. Schmid: “He considers himself a patriot of Ukraine, who does not tolerate any concessions with Russia. As foreign minister, Steinmeier advocated rapprochement with Russia – and Ukraine did not forget this.
The newspaper “Spiegel” that the Polish camp is also angry at the indiscretion. President Andrzej Duda, 49, stands next to him. Because the dispute between Kyiv and Berlin does one thing above all: it gives a boost to Putin.
Macron is upset with Biden
Zelensky’s basket isn’t the only gift Putin received this week. There were also differences between US President Joe Biden (79) and French President Emmanuel Macron (44).
When Biden called the atrocities a “genocide,” Macron said in an interview that he would be careful with such terms and that “escalating rhetoric” would not serve peacebuilding.
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