After Volodymyr Zelenskyj’s harsh criticism of Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor’s trip to Kyiv is eagerly awaited. An adviser to the Ukrainian president follows suit. The news ticker.
- Chancellor in Ukraine: Olaf Scholz probably travels to Kyiv on Thursday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyj speaks extensively on ZDF about Germany’s role in the Ukraine conflict.
- skepticism towards scholz: Selenskyj adviser believes visit to Kyiv is a ruse.
- “Crucial” demands: During the trip, Ukraine Ambassador Melnyk has a wish list for Scholz.
- This News ticker for Chancellor Scholz’s trip to Kyiv is continuously updated.
Update from June 15, 12:40 p.m: Shortly before Olaf Scholz’s trip to Kyiv, the Ukrainian ambassador is putting pressure on him. Andriy Melnyk speaks of two “crucial” demands. “Firstly, we want the German head of government to promise in no uncertain terms, without ifs or buts, that he will be granted candidate status for EU membership and to ensure that next week’s European Council makes this historic decision unanimously,” Melnyk told RTL/ntv. 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”.
Before Scholz’s trip to Kyiv: Ukraine demands weapons
Update from June 15, 6:25 a.m.: Ukraine has again requested modern missile defense weapons from its foreign partners in order to be able to repel Russian attacks from a distance. It should also be about arms deliveries when Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi visit Kyiv. The trip is expected, but no official date has been announced.
According to its military leadership, Ukraine has so far only received a tenth of the necessary arms aid from abroad. “To date, we have about ten percent of what Ukraine said it needs,” said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar on Ukrainian television. Russia is infinitely superior in armament and number of soldiers. “No matter how Ukraine tries, no matter how professional our army is, we will not be able to win this war without the help of partners.”
Update from June 14, 10:15 p.m: In an interview published by ZDF in the evening, Mayor Vitali Klitschko invited Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to Kyiv.
“I enjoy showing and presenting my city. How beautiful the city is. That it is a real European city. I would be very happy if I got the opportunity to present the city to the Federal Chancellor,” said the former professional boxer in an interview with the “heute journal”. Klitschko is very well known in Germany, part of his family lives in Hamburg. The former boxing champion has been the mayor of the Ukrainian capital since 2014.
Skepticism about Scholz: Selenskyj consultant thinks a visit to Ukraine is a ruse
Update from June 14, 7:15 p.m: Oleksiy Arestovych, advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, is skeptical about the expected visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
“I think they will try to push us towards a peace deal because of the food problems…” Arestovych said in an interview with the picture (behind a paywall): “I’m afraid they’ll try to get a Minsk III. They will say that we need to end the war that is causing food problems and economic problems, that Russians and Ukrainians are dying, that we need to save Mr Putin’s face, that the Russians made mistakes, that we need to forgive them and give them a chance must give to return to world society.”
The Minsk II Agreement was in February 2015 negotiated between ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel (67 years, CDU), ex-Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko (56), France’s then President François Hollande (67) and Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin (69). The aim was for the ceasefire in Donbass planned in Minsk I to finally be implemented. The armistice was broken again shortly after it was signed, and Minsk II ultimately became obsolete due to the Russian invasion of the neighboring country.
Update from June 14, 6:45 p.m: Olaf Scholz (SPD) is heavily criticized for his hesitation in the Russia-Ukraine war. After Volodymyr Zelenskyj’s broadside, the Chancellor receives the next political slap in the face from Eastern Europe.
After criticism by Selenskyj: Federal President Steinmeier defends Chancellor Scholz
Update from June 14, 2:20 p.m: Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier defends Chancellor Olaf Scholz against recent criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj. Germany stands “firmly on the side of Ukraine, the people who were invaded by Russia,” Steinmeier emphasized on Tuesday during a visit to Singapore.
Literally, Selenskyj said on ZDF: “We need Chancellor Scholz’s assurance that Germany will support Ukraine. He and his government have to make a decision.” Steinmeier advised first waiting for Scholz’s upcoming visit to Kyiv. “Then in a direct conversation you might be able to come to a slightly different point of view in Ukraine as well.”
Scholz in Ukraine: Details of the Chancellor’s visit leaked out
Update from June 14, 1 p.m.: Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will on Thursday (June 16) in the Ukraine expects and is planning a program of visits scheduled for around six hours, reports the daily mirror. French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi are also expected to travel to Kyiv.
In addition, the Romanian President Klaus Johannis could also take part in the visit, it said. After arrival, several meetings are planned from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., above all a longer meeting with the Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Scholz before Ukraine trip: Selenskyj criticizes German “skepticism” – Klitschko with different tones
Update from June 14, 12:40 p.m.: In the ZDF interview, Volodymyr Zelenskyj criticized Germany for “a certain skepticism” towards Ukraine. Chancellor Scholz and the government “have to make a decision”: no attempt should be made to “strike a balancing act” between Ukraine and relations with Russia. The President also spoke about the lack of arms deliveries. With simultaneous thanks to Germany for the support overall, a conversation in which German politics does not come off completely well (see first report)
Wladimir Klitschko, brother of Kyiv Mayor Vitali, is meanwhile taking a different tack. “Certainly we urgently need more weapons, we need help with EU accession and further humanitarian support,” said Klitschko picture. “But we shouldn’t forget what so many have done, not least in taking in refugees.” Ambassador Melnyk had criticized exactly that the day before. Ukrainian refugees did not feel welcome. In Germany, one should think about why so many Ukrainians “have no desire to stay here”.
Klitschko seems to be bothered by such statements or those “skeptical” accusations by Zelenskyj. His motto: “Especially before the Federal Chancellor’s visit to Kyiv, we should leave no doubt about one thing: Germany was, is and will always be a partner of Ukraine. There can be no two opinions on this and Scholz has long since made a clear commitment to this in the Bundestag.
Scholz in Ukraine: Selenskyj wants to “welcome” Chancellor – appeal to Germany
Update from June 14, 12 p.m.: Referring to the planned visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the weekly The time, they are open and would “welcome all our friends in Kyiv”. With regard to the Ukrainian arms demands on Germany, the Ukrainian head of state stated that deliveries from Germany were “still lower than they could be”. However, according to Zelenskyy, the chancellor knows “exactly what Ukraine needs”.
When asked if he would like Scholz to say “Ukraine must win”, the Ukrainian President replied: “I think Olaf Scholz weighs carefully what he says. But whatever the wording, dozens of people are dying every day here in Ukraine. Every day. How am I supposed to stay calm? Putin hates the idea of a free and united life in Europe and we oppose it. So say what you want and how you want it, but help us. Please.”
Before Scholz’s visit to Ukraine: Selenskyj criticizes arms deliveries – “that’s a fact”
First report from June 14th: Kyiv – Volodymyr Zelenskyj speaks in a ZDF interview about the war in his country and the German reactions to it. Will Ukraine get enough help? How does the Ukrainian President rate the politics of Olaf Scholz, who, after much hesitation, now wants to travel to Kyiv after all? Selenskyj not only has praise for the Chancellor.
Ukraine is very grateful for the solidarity from Germany. However, like France, Germany only supported Ukraine politically and rhetorically at the beginning of the war. “At the beginning of the war we didn’t need politics – we needed help.”
Recently, the Ukrainian side has frequently denounced the fact that Germany is too hesitant to deliver arms that it has already promised to Ukraine. With a view to Scholz’s statement that no country supplies on a similar scale to Germany, Selenskyj said: “I cannot confirm that.” With regard to arms deliveries, the 44-year-old said: “Germany came a little later than some of our neighboring countries, which arms deliveries. That’s a fact.” The first to support Ukraine were the United States, Slovakia, Poland, Britain, the Baltic States, as well as Bulgaria and Romania, among others.
Scholz in Ukraine: Selenskyj warns Chancellor of a crucial mistake – “no balancing act”
When asked about the German-Ukrainian relationship, Selenskyj saw “a certain skepticism in the German leadership towards Ukraine”. For example, when it comes to Ukraine’s accession to the EU or NATO. Ukraine is striving to join the alliance. However, he does not think that this skepticism is due to Scholz. “I don’t think it’s new. Unfortunately, this skepticism could also be felt before Chancellor Scholz came in.” He now expects the SPD Chancellor “to support us personally” in EU accession and that the European Union will grant his country the status of a candidate for accession this June.
The President demanded that Germany take a clearer stance on the Ukraine war: “We need Chancellor Scholz to assure us that Germany will support Ukraine. He and his government have to make a decision.” There should be no attempt to achieve a “balancing act” between Ukraine and relations with Russia.
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