Germany: Olaf Solz is not planning a visit to Kyiv

The chancellor Olaf Solts says it has no plans to visit Kyiv at this time due to the expulsion of the Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. He even spoke of an “obstacle”.

Mr Steinmeier’s exclusion from a visit to Kyiv, scheduled in April jointly with the presidents of Poland and the Baltic states, “stands in the way” of a visit by the chancellor, Mr Solz said in an interview. on the second channel of the German public television ZDF.

Olaf Solz even described her cancellation of the invitation of the German president by the Ukrainian side as a “very remarkable process” and, answering a question about how this hurdle could be removed, was adamant: “First of all, for us Democrats, it must be part of our job to have no doubts. You can not say that the president of a country that offers so much military aid, so much financial support and what is needed in terms of security guarantees is not allowed to visit the country. “And when this president has just been re-elected with such a large majority,” he said.

In Kyiv, however, he announced today that the leader of the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) Friedrich Mertz will go within the week to express his support for the Ukrainian leadership. Mr Solz said he was aware of the visit and said he had no objections to it, although the CDU leader had previously indicated that the government had expressed reservations. “As an MP and leader of the opposition, I claim that I can decide for myself whether to make such a trip or not,” said Mr Mertz, criticizing once again that the chancellor had not visited Kyiv since of war. “The federal government does not need to judge or comment on this, this is my decision,” he said, adding that he had not sought protection from the Federal Crime Agency, which, following the recent Russian rocket attack in Kyiv during UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s visit, prevents German politicians from visiting Ukraine.

Mr Mertz also said he had advised the chancellor to go to Kyiv himself, “but he has not done so and there is no reason to wait for a member of the government to plan the trip.” “If someone has been invited, they decide for themselves whether to go or not. “And I do not even ask for permission,” said the CDU leader, referring to the invitation sent to him by the Ukrainian parliament. However, he did not reveal whether he was going to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Source: News Beast

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