After weeks of a Kyiv-Berlin dispute: Baerbock travels to the war zone

Created: 05/09/2022, 21:58

Annalena Baerbock and Friedrich Merz (archive image) © Frederic Kern/Imago

For weeks there have been debates about visits by German politicians to Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Kyiv - Now also Annalena Baerbock.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier officially wanted to be the first to go to Ukraine.

But Kyiv signaled to the SPD politician: undesirable.

If so, then Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD).

However, he described Steinmeier's invitation as an "obstacle", which earned him the accusation of "offended liverwurst" (quote from Ukraine Ambassador Andriy Melnyk).

Steinmeier and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj then cleared up the irritations in a telephone call, Selenskyj invited Steinmeier again.

Shortly thereafter, the second highest German state representative, Bundestag President Bärbel Bas, was in Kyiv to commemorate the victims of the Second World War unleashed by Nazi Germany. 

Annalena Baerbock (Greens) in the Ukraine-Russia war: Federal Foreign Minister visits Kyiv

A German politician who forestalled her with a trip during the Ukraine war caused almost more of a stir: CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who tweeted a video from the sleeping car to Kyiv.

Classifications that the visit of the 66-year-old could be an election campaign maneuver with a view to the Schleswig-Holstein election and the NRW election, rejected CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja on Deutschlandfunk.

Incidentally, Merz thanked the Ukrainian head of state for Steinmeier's renewed invitation: "I am very grateful to President Selenskyj for accepting my request for an invitation from the Federal President," he told the dpa news agency.

Visits to Ukraine by German politicians: after Merz and Bas, now Baerbock in Kyiv

In recent weeks, Ukraine has repeatedly accused the ruling traffic light coalition of hesitating on arms deliveries.

The recent pledge of self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine could ease tensions between Berlin and Kyiv.

Selenskyj invited Scholz last Friday to come to Kyiv this Monday (May 9).

Whether and when the chancellor could travel remained unclear at the weekend.

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to make his inaugural visit to Berlin after his re-election this evening.