After Steinmeier unloading
Ex-Foreign Minister Gabriel attacks Ukrainian Ambassador Melnyk
Sigmar Gabriel on a podium of the “Atlantic Bridge” (archive image)
© AFP
Former Federal Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) defended the Federal President in the dispute over Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s unwanted visit to Kyiv and attacked the Ukrainian ambassador.
Former Federal Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) defends the Federal President in the dispute over Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s unwanted visit to Kyiv and sharply attacks the Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Melnyk. In his previous position as foreign minister, Steinmeier, together with then-Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), did “more than anyone else in Europe” to support Ukraine, Gabriel wrote in a guest article for “Spiegel” published on Sunday.
In an interview, Ambassador Melnyk accused Steinmeier, among other things, of having “created a spider web of contacts with Russia for decades”. “Spiders’ webs are known to be used to catch and then use the prey,” Gabriel wrote. “In a nutshell, this comparison suggests that the former chancellery and foreign minister helped organize the representation of Russia’s interests in Germany. That is untruthful and malicious.”
The Ukrainian cancellation of Steinmeier’s visit to Kyiv “is unprecedented and irritating,” Gabriel said. It is understandable that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “wanted to express his anger and lack of understanding towards politicians from Germany and other EU countries for their earlier Russia and energy policies”. Here you have to Zelenskyj “often even agree”.
“What we should not accept, however, are conspiracy theories about our country’s politics and those responsible,” Gabriel added. He described Melnyk’s “spider web” statement as a “more dangerous variant of conspiracy theories”.
Sigmar Gabriel: Melnyk close to conspiracy theories
At the same time, the ex-minister defended the current position of the federal government on the subject of arms deliveries. “Leadership in Europe also means recognizing the consequences of expanding this war,” he wrote. “And that’s why it’s right that the German federal government can only deliver heavy weapons – essentially tanks – to Ukraine in coordination with the United States of America.”
Foreign policy and diplomacy “cannot be replaced by tanks and missiles in the long run,” emphasized Gabriel. In addition, “in the search for non-violent solutions to conflicts one has to take the very uncomfortable and usually very unpopular step” of putting oneself in “the enemy’s shoes. Not to put on his shoes, but to gauge the scope for conceivable understandings.”
Steinmeier unloaded one day before Ukraine visit
Federal President Steinmeier originally wanted to travel to Kyiv with his colleagues from Poland and the three Baltic states. On Tuesday, however, he said the Ukrainian leadership had refused his visit.
Steinmeier was head of the Federal Chancellery under Gerhard Schröder (SPD) from 1999 to 2005. He was then Federal Foreign Minister until 2009 and again from 2013 to 2017. Gabriel, in turn, was foreign minister from 2017 to 2018 and before that first environment and later economics minister.