For signs of solidarity
CDU politicians call on Scholz to travel to Kyiv
4/10/2022, 6:19 p.m
If the Union has its way, the chancellor should follow the example of the British prime minister and travel to Kyiv. He should get an idea on the spot and demonstrate German solidarity, they say. It remains unlikely that Scholz will pursue these demands.
The CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter has called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to travel to Ukraine like other Western politicians. “I hope that our chancellor will also follow this example and get an idea on the spot,” said the Union chairman in the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee to the “Handelsblatt”. Germany should “fulfil its very important hinge function in Europe” and lead the way in supporting Ukraine and overcoming the crisis.
In the past few days, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer have traveled to Kyiv. These were demonstrations of solidarity with Ukraine, said Union parliamentary group leader Johann Wadephul to the editorial network Germany. It would also be good for the federal government to send out such a signal with a trip by the chancellor or by foreign minister Annalena Baerbock. Many Ukrainians are disappointed with the German government’s hesitant policy on issues of the energy embargo and arms deliveries. The federal government should not appear in Kyiv empty-handed.
Precisely because the federal government is taking a cautious course on the two points energy embargo and arms deliveries, it is unlikely that Scholz will respond to the demand for a trip to Kyiv, political scientist Thomas Jäger explains to ntv. After all, people in Kyiv would not like to hear that the German economy should not be sacrificed to a gas embargo. According to Jäger, the demands of the CDU are also a distraction because they do not want to talk about their own Russia policy.
Meanwhile, there are also appeals from Scholz’ coalition partner FDP to show more leadership. The defense politician Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said in the “Handelsblatt” that the chancellor “should start using and leading his policy competence”. Germany and Europe were waiting for this. Whether Scholz travels to Ukraine is up to him, added Strack-Zimmermann. “I find it out of place to drive him out of the heat at this point.”