After the failed trip of the Federal President to Ukraine and recent diplomatic upsets, there is a new attempt at rapprochement between Berlin and Kiev. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on Thursday. Steinmeier assured Selenskyi of the full support of Germany in the approximately 45-minute conversation, it was said. The fact that both talk to each other is seen as a sign of the effort of both sides to overcome the recent tensions and to find a reasonably reasonable atmosphere.
The trigger for the disputes was the failed attempt by the Federal President to travel to Kiev together with other European counterparts in mid-April. Steinmeier had prepared the visit in the background for days with the Polish president, but was then surprised at very short notice by a cancellation by the Ukrainian government. In a written note from Kiev, Steinmeier was quite unambiguously signaled at the time that he was not welcome in Kiev. Steinmeier’s former Russia-friendly course was cited as the alleged reason for the cancellation.
Since then, the case has caused greater discontent between the federal government and Ukraine, an “affront” has been mentioned in government circles. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) recently refused a trip to Ukraine also with reference to Steinmeier’s treatment. The rejection of the Federal President is “a problem,” said Scholz. “That’s in the room.” The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, had described the chancellor as an “offended liver sausage” because of the attitude.
Who is traveling to Kiev?
The telephone call between Steinmeier and Zelenskyj could now cause movement. “Irritations of the past have been eliminated,” emphasized a spokeswoman after the conversation between the two. Selenskyj invited the Federal President and the entire German head of state in the telephone call with Steinmeier. Whether Steinmeier still intends to travel to Kiev himself is unclear. But if his relationship with the Ukrainian government has now eased, Scholz would have no argument to refrain from visiting because of the April affront.
There is also hope in the SPD that the chancellor will soon change his mind and leave for Kiev. Internally, there is talk of an “important sign of solidarity.” Some people rely on Scholz to go to Ukraine together with French President Emmanuel Macron, who will visit Berlin next Monday.
They shoud have a direct flight to Mariupol.
A very welcome development. Hopefully Melnyk will be gone soon and the tone will get back to normal between the two nations.
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After the failed trip of the Federal President to Ukraine and recent diplomatic upsets, there is a new attempt at rapprochement between Berlin and Kiev. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on Thursday. Steinmeier assured Selenskyi of the full support of Germany in the approximately 45-minute conversation, it was said. The fact that both talk to each other is seen as a sign of the effort of both sides to overcome the recent tensions and to find a reasonably reasonable atmosphere.
The trigger for the disputes was the failed attempt by the Federal President to travel to Kiev together with other European counterparts in mid-April. Steinmeier had prepared the visit in the background for days with the Polish president, but was then surprised at very short notice by a cancellation by the Ukrainian government. In a written note from Kiev, Steinmeier was quite unambiguously signaled at the time that he was not welcome in Kiev. Steinmeier’s former Russia-friendly course was cited as the alleged reason for the cancellation.
Since then, the case has caused greater discontent between the federal government and Ukraine, an “affront” has been mentioned in government circles. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) recently refused a trip to Ukraine also with reference to Steinmeier’s treatment. The rejection of the Federal President is “a problem,” said Scholz. “That’s in the room.” The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, had described the chancellor as an “offended liver sausage” because of the attitude.
Who is traveling to Kiev?
The telephone call between Steinmeier and Zelenskyj could now cause movement. “Irritations of the past have been eliminated,” emphasized a spokeswoman after the conversation between the two. Selenskyj invited the Federal President and the entire German head of state in the telephone call with Steinmeier. Whether Steinmeier still intends to travel to Kiev himself is unclear. But if his relationship with the Ukrainian government has now eased, Scholz would have no argument to refrain from visiting because of the April affront.
There is also hope in the SPD that the chancellor will soon change his mind and leave for Kiev. Internally, there is talk of an “important sign of solidarity.” Some people rely on Scholz to go to Ukraine together with French President Emmanuel Macron, who will visit Berlin next Monday.
They shoud have a direct flight to Mariupol.
A very welcome development. Hopefully Melnyk will be gone soon and the tone will get back to normal between the two nations.