With champagne glass in Kyiv: Faeser regrets the scene – but rejects comparison with Laschet

Created: 08/11/2022 05:52

"I regret the photo," says Interior Minister Faeser about a photo that was taken on her trip to Ukraine.

At the same time, the SPD politician has an explanation.

Potsdam - "Cheers to the war" is just one of the harsh Twitter reactions to a certain photo with Nancy Faeser: It shows the Minister of the Interior at the end of July on a balcony in Kyiv - with champagne glass in hand, as well as Labor Minister Hubertus Heil, Kiev's mayor Vitali Klitschko and Ambassador Anka Feldhusen.

But the SPD politician is obviously unhappy with the scene.

When Faeser was confronted with one of these pictures at the "RND on site" series of events, she said: "I regret the photo." It was "certainly not appropriate".

At the same time, the picture is easy to explain because normal everyday life has returned to Kyiv at the moment, although this is difficult to understand given the war crimes and ongoing fighting in eastern Ukraine.

"People go shopping.

There are flowers planted in public space again.

People go to bars, they sit in cafes, they go about their work.”

A photo that caused outrage: Nancy Faeser (l) and Hubertus Heil (r) stand on a balcony of the residence of the German ambassador to Ukraine and drink sparkling wine. © Christophe Gateau/dpa/Archiv

Laughter in Kyiv in the Ukraine war: Faeser rejects comparison with Laschet

It's difficult to understand, but you can see that in the picture, said Faeser.

"In the evening we were invited to the ambassador's and the Mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, and in the end we chose the same drink as him."

Because that expresses something that is inappropriate when you come from another country.”

Faeser rejected a comparison of the photo with the much-discussed picture from last summer, which showed the then Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (CDU) smiling while visiting a German flood area.

After all, everyday life prevailed in Kyiv.

"It's different than if I were in the east of the country with a glass of champagne."

Visits to Ukraine during the war - Politics shows solidarity

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In addition to Kyiv, Faeser and Heil also visited the city of Irpin, which was destroyed by the Ukraine war.

The pictures from the ambassador's balcony had drawn outraged comments on social media.

The Secretary General of the CDU, Mario Czaja, was one of the prominent voices who were critical of it.