KIEV (Reuters) – Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy do not see Ukraine joining NATO any time soon.
Zelenskyj admitted on Monday after meeting Scholz in Kiev: “Maybe the question of the open door is a dream for us after all.” Nobody knows when the time will come and what will happen in the end. Scholz emphasized that NATO will adhere to the principle of open doors for new members, but that Ukraine’s accession is not on the agenda now. Russia demands that Ukraine should not be allowed to join the western military alliance.
Scholz again threatened Russia with severe sanctions from the West in the event of an attack. “We are able to make the necessary decisions every day.” The sanctions would have a serious impact on Russia’s economic development, said the SPD politician, without giving details. Zelenskyy described the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as a geopolitical weapon, which is why his country needs energy security guarantees.
The Federal Chancellor announced further aid for Ukraine. Germany is already the largest financier of the former Soviet republic. Now the federal government will release 150 million euros from an old credit line and make a further 150 million euros available to stabilize the country’s economy. When asked about the arms deliveries demanded by Ukraine, he agreed to an examination, but referred to the restrictive German practice in arms exports.
Selenskyj called on German companies to invest more. At the same time, he criticized Ukrainian oligarchs who left the country out of fear of a Russian attack. His own family did not leave the country. “My family is always with me, always with Ukraine,” he said.
Both had spoken behind closed doors for two hours and forty minutes instead of a one-on-one meeting scheduled for thirty minutes. Scholz travels back to Berlin in the evening and then flies to Moscow on Tuesday. There he will meet with President Vladimir Putin and representatives of civil society.