Scholz stood in front of the Ukrainian lectern during a speech with Selenskyj and Macron. The heads of state take the confusion with humor.
At a joint press conference with France’s head of state Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, Olaf Scholz (SPD) walks unerringly towards one of the lecterns provided. The chancellor doesn’t realize at first that the Ukrainian flag is behind the desk he has chosen. The Ukrainian President, on the other hand, notices the mix-up, looks confused for a moment and then draws his colleague’s attention to the mistake.
The three heads of state take the situation with humor: Macron mimics the usher, Selenskyj and Scholz swap places with a grin on their faces. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry shared a recording of the mix-up on Twitter, captioning it “The Ally’s Dilemma: Good versus Very Good.” In the comment field, users are amused by the situation and joke that Scholz has finally made it clear whose side he is on. See the scene in the video above or here.
During visits to London, Paris and Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, Zelenskyi appealed to Western allies for further military aid in the fight against the Russian invasion – in particular fighter jets. During the meeting with Scholz and Macron in Paris, Zelenskyj said on Wednesday evening: “It’s about weapons that are necessary for peace. The war that Russia has unleashed must be stopped.” Scholz promised him support for as long as necessary, Macron “support until victory”. Before that, Selenskyj had already advertised fighter jets in Great Britain.