Zelensky rejected the German president. Kiev accuses Steinmeier of pro – Russian politics – HNonline.sk

During a visit to Warsaw, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier admitted that he was not welcome in Kiev. He was going to visit Ukraine with other presidents. Ukrainians accuse him of being one of the architects of Germany’s friendly attitude to Russia. On the contrary, Kiev invites German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to visit. “I was ready for it. But apparently – and I have to take that into account – they didn’t want it in Kiev, “Steinmeier said. Polish President Andrzej Duda, whom Steinmeier met on Tuesday, has initiated a joint trip to Kiev in recent days, including with the presidents of the three Baltic countries – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Whatever you borrow, such a return to Germany is the target of criticism for several reasons. These include a long-term policy towards Russia, an insufficient response to Ukraine’s requests for military assistance, but also a reluctance to impose the most severe economic sanctions on Russia. According to Steinmeier, the planned trip was intended as “a strong sign of common European solidarity with Ukraine”. The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, who is known for his almost non-diplomatic statements, said over the weekend that Ukraine would welcome a visit by Olaf Scholz’s office rather than Steinmeier’s. According to him, the visit of the president would be only symbolic. Melnyk told ProSieben and SAT.1 that Ukraine is inviting the head of the German government. “We have also communicated that my president and government will be very happy when Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits Kiev,” the ambassador said. According to him, such a visit should be about Germany supplying Ukraine with heavy weapons to fight Russia. “My president is looking forward to that,” Melnyk said. Ukrainians demand heavy weapons Ukraine demands heavy weapons from Germany, such as battle tanks, cannons and air defense systems. Many other NATO countries, such as the Czech Republic, have already decided to supply heavy weapons, Melnyk emphasized. “Therefore, we hope that the same decision will soon be reached in the traffic light coalition and that this blockade will be lifted,” Melnyk said. The German Foreign Minister (Greens) spoke in favor of heavy arms supplies to Ukraine on Monday, but the Social Democratic (SPD) office has so far been reluctant to do so. Melnyk then told Der Tagesspiegel that Steinmeier, who had also been foreign minister in the past, had “spun the web of contacts with Russia” for decades and that his relationship with Russia remained “something essential, even sacred, no matter what is happening ”. Steinmeier recently admitted errors in assessing Russian politics and President Vladimir Putin. “My insistence on the Nord Stream 2 (gas pipeline) was clearly a mistake. We insisted on bridges that Russia no longer believed in and in which our partners warned us, “Steinmeier poured ashes on his head.