(new: more background on Steinmeier/Melnyk.)
WARSAW (dpa-AFX) – A planned trip by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Kyiv has burst because he is obviously not welcome there. “I was willing to do that. But obviously – and I have to admit – that was not wanted in Kyiv,” said Steinmeier on Tuesday during a visit to Warsaw. In the past few days, Polish President Andrzej Duda had suggested that they travel to the Ukrainian capital together with the heads of state of the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, “to send and set a strong sign of common European solidarity with Ukraine “. This is no longer the case.
The Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Melnyk had already made it clear at the weekend that Ukraine is more likely to expect a visit from Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) than from Steinmeier. A trip to Kyiv by the Federal President would only be of a symbolic nature, he told the dpa. “It would be better for the Chancellor or other members of the federal government to come and make concrete decisions about further massive support for Ukraine.” Ukraine is demanding the delivery of heavy weapons such as tanks and artillery pieces.
Steinmeier’s surprising invitation is a diplomatic affront and the temporary culmination of attacks on the Federal President, which Melnyk in particular has been leading for weeks. In March, for example, he boycotted a solidarity concert at Bellevue Palace on the grounds that Russian but no Ukrainian soloists were playing there. “An affront. Sorry, I’m staying away,” he wrote on Twitter.
Melnyk later told the Tagesspiegel: “Steinmeier has been creating a spider’s web of contacts with Russia for decades.” For him, “the relationship with Russia remains something fundamental, even sacred, no matter what happens.” In the “Spiegel” Melnyk accused Steinmeier that relations with Moscow were apparently the “golden calf” for him.
It didn’t help that Steinmeier later admitted errors in his assessment of Russian politics and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin: “My clinging to Nord Stream 2 was clearly a mistake. We clung to bridges that Russia no longer holds believed and that our partners have warned us about.”
The Federal President may also have to pay for what actually applies to Scholz’s federal government. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long accused her of being too lax about sanctions and arms deliveries. If he had his way, Germany would immediately stop buying coal, oil and gas from Russia and would also equip Ukraine with heavy weapons such as battle tanks.
Steinmeier had already signaled on Friday that he had travel plans for Kyiv. “Of course I’m also thinking about when the right time is for my next visit to Kyiv.” Those plans are now lapsed. And that despite the fact that top Western politicians are now shaking hands with Selenskyj. The heads of government from Poland, Great Britain, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia have already traveled to Kyiv to strengthen Ukraine’s back in the fight against the Russian attackers. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was there on Friday.
In view of the Russian war of aggression in the Ukraine, at least between Warsaw and Berlin, there is a broad sense of solidarity. During the visit of the Federal President, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda made it clear that his country is doing more to equip the Ukrainian army and is taking quicker action to combat energy dependence on Russia. At the same time, he described Steinmeier as a “proven friend of Poland”.
He thanked Poland for taking in hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ukraine and promised the EU partner further German support. “I feel really deep respect and also great gratitude for the generous and well-organized reception of the refugees here in Poland,” said Steinmeier. “I know it’s not easy.” It is an “enormous feat” in which Germany will continue to participate in solidarity. “I promise we won’t leave Poland and Ukraine’s other neighbors alone.”
Steinmeier pointed out that the federal government had already made decisions such as the special fund of 100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr, which Germany had not expected. In addition, weapons are now being delivered not only to a zone of tension but also to a war zone. When asked whether this would also include heavy weapons such as tanks in the future, Steinmeier answered evasively.
Steinmeier said that Germany wanted to reduce its purchases of oil and gas as quickly as possible. “But we also say that with a view to our economic structure, which includes a strong chemical industry, things are not going quite as quickly as some would like at the moment.” The one who pronounces the sanctions should not harm himself more than the sanctioned.
Duda made it clear that Poland had started diversifying its energy supply years ago. He hopes that Poland will be independent of gas imports from Russia as early as next autumn./sk/DP/men