Deutsche Welle (DW) will not be among the journalists accompanying German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 15. According to information from the Tagesspiegel, the press and information office of the federal government, headed by government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, refused Deutsche Welle to participate.
[Wenn Sie aktuelle Nachrichten aus Berlin, Deutschland und der Welt live auf Ihr Handy haben wollen, empfehlen wir Ihnen unsere App, die Sie hier für Apple- und Android-Geräte herunterladen können.]
Michael Brand, the spokesman on human rights for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, told the Tagesspiegel on Sunday that it was a “real shame” that Deutsche Welle was unable to accompany the Chancellor’s trip to Moscow. This is not only “politically cowardly”, but also shows “the problem of this chancellor, who no longer even wants to defend the fundamental right to a free press,” said Brand.
The Russian Foreign Ministry ordered the DW office to be closed on Thursday and revoked the accreditation of all correspondents. Deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Büchner said on Friday that the Russian measures against Deutsche Welle were “completely unfounded” and contrary to press freedom. On behalf of the federal government, Büchner made an “urgent appeal” to the Russian side not to “abuse the problems surrounding the approval of the Russian broadcaster RT DE in Germany to restrict press freedom”.
[Lesen Sie auch: Spion, Hoffnungsträger, Killer: Wie tickt Wladimir Putin? (T+)]
The meeting between Scholz and Putin on February 15 in Moscow will primarily focus on the Ukraine crisis. The Federal Chancellor is expected to visit Kiev the day before. In view of the closure of the DW office in Moscow, taking Deutsche Welle with you on the trip would have been an important signal from the German government to Putin.
With the decision not to put a representative of “Deutsche Welle” on the list of media people traveling with him, Scholz apparently wants to avoid a conflict with Putin. In Germany, the ban on broadcasting “Deutsche Welle” triggered great criticism. Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) described the ban as an “aggressive act”. However, Roth wants to try to mediate with her Russian counterpart Olga Lyubimowa.