Two Russian analysts, specializing in the European political situation, were presented in TASS today, both quite struck by the singular and rude treatment by Ukraine’s Zelenskyy of Germany’s President Steinmeier. Earlier this week, Ukraine took exception to Germany’s President being part of a delegation to Ukraine. Of note, in Ukraine, Steinmeier’s name is intimately associated with the much-despised Minsk Accords, sometimes called the “Steinmeier Formula.”
Vladimir Zharaikhin, a deputy director at the Insitute of the CIS Countries, offered that the Steinmeier disinvite was done in a particularly disrespectful fashion because Zelenskyy perceives European countries, even major ones such as Germany and France, as mere U.S. satellites, just like his own country is at the moment. He believes that they have no choice. Further, they will take their chastisement sheepishly. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was invited in Steinmeier’s place “will come anyway: If Washington commands him to come, he will come.” This is an example of “how low the former great European powers fell.”