Scholz visits Ukraine - Two "crucial" demands

Created: 06/15/2022, 17:15

By: Tobias Utz

Chancellor Scholz's visit to Kyiv is under observation.

There are still many question marks about his journey.

Kyiv/Berlin – Chancellor Olaf Scholz plans to travel to Ukraine on Thursday (May 16).

As has already been leaked, there are numerous appointments on the agenda.

Among other things, a meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is said to be planned.

Selenskyj had already sharply criticized Scholz in a ZDF interview on Monday evening for the lack of arms deliveries from Germany to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, formulated two "crucial" demands on Scholz on Wednesday.

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"Firstly, we want the German head of government to promise, without any ifs or buts, that he will be granted candidate status for EU membership and to ensure that the European Council makes this historic decision unanimously next week," said Melnyk RTL and nv.

In addition, Ukraine expects that Scholz "jumps over the shadow of German hesitancy on the subject of heavy weapons and massively supports Ukraine with really all available means from the Bundeswehr stocks and the armaments industry".

Chancellor Olaf Scholz before a cabinet meeting in Berlin.

(Archive photo) © Michael Kappeler / dpa

Scholz is traveling to Kyiv with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian President Draghi.

The Tagesspiegel reports that no visits outside the capital, for example in Bucha, are planned.

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It is currently unclear how the Chancellor's trip will take place.

He may occasionally travel to Ukraine by train.

The airspace over the country is still closed, in other words: Scholz could only land with the government plane at an airport near the border in a neighboring country of Ukraine.

(do with dpa/AFP)