Strong criticism of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier because of his canceled trip to Kyiv. CDU politicians accuse the head of state of having canceled his visit to Ukraine out of fear.
︎ Steinmeier got “cold feet”, criticized Gitta Connemann, chairwoman of the CDU SME and Economic Union. “What a devastating signal,” she wrote.
︎ The head of the German CDU/CSU group in the EU Parliament, Daniel Caspary, accused him of a “scared rabbit rejection”. As a result, Germany is isolated in the EU like never before. “The best example is Germany’s most recent international embarrassment through the cowardly cancellation of the Federal President’s trip to Kyiv. This is the full capitulation of German foreign policy to Russia’s terror in Ukraine.”
︎ FDP expert Marcus Faber (38) is also skeptical. The visit could have given millions of people hope, he says. “If the Federal President does not drive because the threat is too great, then that is a fatal signal to the Ukrainian mother who has been living with her child with air raid alarms for months.”
︎ Green politician Anton Hofreiter (52) shows understanding for the cancellation with a view to personal safety. “But it shows that we need to provide Ukraine with even more support, both with anti-aircraft defense and with armored vehicles,” he told BILD. CDU politician Gunther Krichbaum (58) sounds similar. “Of course it is to be respected if someone does not want to travel to Ukraine for security reasons. But after terror against the civilian population escalated, a visit would have been an important signal.”
︎ FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann says Ukraine is disappointed with the cancellation of the trip. The Federal President must of course decide for himself whether he takes the risk of this trip or not, said the politician “ntv”.
BILD found out yesterday that Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (66) had canceled his visit to Kyiv, which had been planned for weeks. Instead, he wants to call Ukraine President Selenskyj today.
The conversation actually took place on Thursday. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted that he thanked Germany for the IRIS air defense system. “We are preparing for the visit of the German President to Ukraine,” he wrote.
According to BILD information, the Federal Foreign Office, the Interior Ministry and German security authorities had advised the Federal President against traveling to Kyiv. Russia has been bombarding Ukraine and the capital Kyiv with drones for days. The decision was made on Tuesday to cancel the visit – but it should be made up for in the near future.
Politicians from other countries seem less afraid to go to Kyiv. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias (63) visited on Wednesday. And on Thursday, the President of Switzerland, Ignazio Cassis (61), arrived by train.
Swiss President Ignazio Cassis (61, right) in Ukraine
Steinmeier’s rejection harbors political explosiveness, since Steinmeier already has a difficult relationship with Ukraine. In the spring, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyj (44) refused a visit by the Federal President to Kyiv.
This resulted in months of disagreement between Kyiv and Berlin. In the summer, Zelenskyj finally invited the Federal President to visit the Ukrainian capital. Steinmeier and Selenskyj are said to have settled the disagreements during a telephone conversation.
Steinmeier was long considered the architect of German Russia policy and maintained a good relationship with Kremlin Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (72). Steinmeier was head of the Federal Chancellery for several years under ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (78), who hired as a gas lobbyist for Russian energy companies after his chancellorship.