Russia's war against Ukraine marks WWII end day
Created: 05/08/2022 05:58
A Russian airstrike destroyed a residential area in Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
© Evgeniy Maloletka/AP/dpa
"Never again!" was an oath Germany made after the Second World War.
The attacked Ukraine takes this literally.
That doesn't make it easy to commemorate the anniversary of the end of the war.
Berlin - There has never been such a May 8: The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine overshadows and at the same time shapes this year's commemoration of the end of the Second World War in Europe through the German capitulation 77 years ago.
As former Soviet sister nations, both countries are victims and at the same time conquerors of National Socialism.
But Russia's President Vladimir Putin is trying to misuse the memory for his expansion goals.
Germany is now faced with the task of redeeming the much-vaunted obligation of “Never again!” to the Ukrainians fighting for life and freedom without diminishing the liberating role of today's aggressor Russia on this important day of remembrance.
commemorative events
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wants to give a television speech that will be broadcast by several channels in the evening.
The federal government spoke in advance of a special commemoration of May 8th.
Scholz gave a TV speech shortly after the start of the Ukraine war on February 24.
For her part, the President of the Bundestag, Bärbel Bas, is expected in Kyiv to attend the commemorative events marking the end of the World War.
A meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also planned.
The SPD politician - Germany's second highest representative after the Federal President - accepted an invitation from the Ukrainian parliamentary speaker, Ruslan Stefantschuk.
On behalf of the Bundestag, she wants to lay wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and at the memorial to the murdered Ukrainian Jews in Babyn Yar.
Bas and Stefantschuk want to commemorate all civilian and military victims of the Second World War together.
Before her, the CDU chairman Friedrich Merz had already been in Kyiv on Tuesday.
A trip by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is also planned for the coming days.
The chairman of the Christian Democrats in the EU Parliament, Manfred Weber (CSU), called on Scholz to travel to Kyiv quickly.
"Best together with French President Emmanuel Macron," Weber told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
"In addition to the USA, Germany is particularly important in this conflict." So far, however, neither Berlin nor Paris have announced any corresponding travel plans.
Tensions between Ukraine and Germany
Relations between Berlin and Kyiv have been extremely tense in recent weeks because of an invitation from Ukraine to disinvite Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose government blamed him for pro-Russian policies as a former foreign minister.
In Berlin, this was seen as an affront.
According to the Office of the Federal President, the irritations were cleared up during a phone call between Steinmeier and Selenskyj on Thursday.
Relations between Berlin and Kyiv are also not completely conflict-free because Germany is supplying weapons and now also heavy equipment such as anti-aircraft tanks and self-propelled howitzers, but Ukraine needs even more and is therefore pushing for even greater commitment from Europe's strongest economic power.
At the end of a multi-day trip to Ukraine, left-wing foreign politician Gregor Gysi spoke out against German arms deliveries.
"We caused 27 million deaths in World War II in the Soviet Union, mostly Russians," he told the German Press Agency.
"The Ukrainians killed come second, followed by people of other nationalities." Germany should not arm one ex-Soviet republic against the other.
Late on Sunday afternoon, the heads of state and government of the G7 countries will also be connected for a video conference, in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also take part.
Germany currently holds the presidency of the G7.
The group of the seven most important economic nations also includes the USA, Canada, France, Great Britain, Italy and Japan.
Russia celebrates Victory Day
Putin plans to speak at the traditional grand military parade in Moscow on Monday, Russia's "Victory Day" over Nazi Germany.
He is expected to set the course for the two-and-a-half-month war against Ukraine.
As a result, fears of increased Russian airstrikes in connection with the Moscow holiday are growing in Ukraine.
In cities close to the front, such as Odessa, a curfew is to apply for two days.
Confrontations expected at events
The war will also play a role in the numerous commemorative events and rallies in Germany.
In Berlin, for example, several hundred participants have registered for events at the two most important Soviet memorials.
Events are also planned in Cologne, Frankfurt am Main, Dresden, Hamburg, Freiburg, Hanover and Potsdam.
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War against Ukraine: That's the situation
Confrontations between opponents and pro-Russian supporters of the current war are feared.
The police expect a “very sensitive risk situation” in Berlin.
It is present on Sunday with around 1,600 officials and on Monday with 1,800. It has issued numerous conditions for memorials and memorials.
This includes that neither Russian nor Ukrainian flags may be shown on and at the respective area.
This had also caused criticism.
Also forbidden is the Z symbol of the Russian invasion forces.
Development Minister Svenja Schulze announced that emergency humanitarian aid for Ukraine had been increased by half again, from 63 to 185 million euros.
"This will restore the drinking water supply, and destroyed apartments, schools and kindergartens will be rebuilt," said the SPD politician to "Bild am Sonntag".
The Green Bundestag Vice-President Katrin Göring-Eckardt renewed her call for concrete EU accession prospects for Ukraine and German security guarantees.
"The German federal government should help that it can meet the formal criteria for EU accession," she wrote in a guest article for the news site ntv.de.
dpa
