End of the journey
When is Scholz going to Kyiv? Why it could go so fast now
Chancellor Olaf Scholz: “An important result of the talks”
© Michael Kappeler / DPA
Nothing stands in the way of the trip: Germany and the Ukraine have cleared up “past irritations” and the first visits from the Federal Republic are already planned. And when is Scholz coming?
Some call it so, others so. Olaf Scholz said: “You can’t do that.” It was a “remarkable event” and even a “problem for the German people,” as he later explained refilled.
For the otherwise rather taciturn Chancellor, there were an unusually large number of clear words in a debate that had gotten completely out of joint: Scholz had admitted that the Ukrainian government’s uninviting of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stood in the way of a visit to Kyiv . Her ambassador in Berlin, Andriy Melnyk, then called the chancellor an “offended liverwurst” (for which, by the way, he doesn’t want to apologize).
But all that is now anyway wind and nothing. Depending on how you read it, the “offended liverwurst” can be considered appeased or the “problem for the German people” eliminated: Germany and the Ukraine have cleared up the “irritations of the past”, as it was diplomatically correct from the Belevue Palace.
And when is Olaf Scholz coming?
According to this, Federal President Steinmeier and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj spoke on the phone on Thursday. It was the first direct contact between the two since mid-April. The heads of state described “the conversation as very important and very good”, which is said to have lasted about 45 minutes – so there was obviously a lot to discuss or clear up. At the end there was an invitation for the entire German head of state – including the Federal President – to Ukraine.
Did Selenskyj have any idea what could happen to him now? After the phone call, nothing stands in the way of visits from Germany, as Scholz complained at the time, and the first have already been announced: the President of the Bundestag Bärbel Bas wants to travel to KyivSecretary of State Annalena Baerbock too, Steinmeier could already be sitting on packed suitcases. And Scholz?
The chancellor has practically no reason to wait too long before his visit. His argument, the diplomatic affront to Steinmeier, has been cleared. With his clear criticism of the Federal President’s invitation, Scholz also revealed when he would travel to Ukraine and when not.
If he were to delay his visit further, he could reinforce the impression of a procrastinator – an image that the chancellor is currently trying to shed through more courageous communication. At least he is no longer an “offended liver sausage”, if he ever was one: Scholz welcomed the exchange between Steinmeier and Selynskij and praised Baerbock’s visit as “important result of the conversation” at.
Will it close ranks with France?
Against this background, everything could now happen very quickly: Emmanuel Macron has registered for Monday in Berlin, it is the French President’s first foreign visit since his re-election. Of course, the agenda also includes “questions in connection with the Ukraine war”, as the Élysée Palace announced on Thursday – of which new ones could arise on Monday.
On May 9, Russia, like other nations in Eastern Europe, celebrates “Victory Day” against Nazi Germany. Observers expect that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use the special date as an opportunity to start a new phase of the war (Read more here). Scholz and Macron could agree on a joint trip to Kyiv in order to express their solidarity with Ukraine and to counter the Kremlin propaganda with a signal of unity and determination.
Scholz could possibly talk about possible travel plans a day before. Sunday marks the 77th anniversary of the end of World War II, according to a report by “Picture”According to the newspaper, the chancellor wants to address the population again in a televised address on this occasion. Apart from the annual New Year’s speech, it would be Scholz’s second TV speech since taking office. He held his first on February 24, the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
Sources: “Southgerman newspaper”Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz on twitter, “The world”, “time online”, “Tagesschau.de”, “T-Online.de”, “Picture”