This may seem curious in the midst of the war and when Germany, like other European countries, supports Ukraine, even if the latter has criticized the Schröder government for not doing enough. The German president had been deemed undesirable in kyiv there at three weeks. An affront badly taken in Germany and which has since frozen any visit by the Chancellor to Ukraine.
With our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibault
” This is a good thing “. Olaf Scholz remained faithful to his terse rhetoric when commenting on the telephone conversation between President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
Berlin clarified that the irritation of the last three weeks had been dispelled after kyiv refused to welcome the German president who was to visit the Ukrainian capital with his Polish and Baltic counterparts.
The former German Foreign Minister was criticized for a position in the past that was too conciliatory with regard to Russia. The person concerned has since admitted having ” made a mistake “.
kyiv’s refusal to welcome Frank-Walter Steinmeier had been perceived as an affront in Germany in political circles and among the population. Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday invited German leaders to kyiv.
Thursday evening May 5, Olaf Scholz, who saw in the recent affront a reason not to go to Ukraine, announced that his Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock would go there soon.
Germany’s number two, the President of the Bundestag, is due to attend ceremonies commemorating the end of the Second World War in kyiv on Sunday.