The aim of forcing Germany to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine is being served by ongoing mainstream pressures, including the Kiev trip by three pro-war Bundestag members (Hofreiter, Roth, Strack-Zimmermann,) and also, the way Ukraine dis-invited German President Steinmeier from visiting Ukraine.
It was a Polish proposal that the Presidents of Poland, Germany and the three Baltic republics travel to Kiev to show solidarity with Ukraine, but the Ukrainians decided to disinvite Germany’s Steinmeier. Instead, they invited Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy committed a diplomatic affront by claiming he had never received a request by Germany for a Steinmeier visit; the other diplomatic affront is that the four other Presidents did go ahead and travel to Kiev yesterday without insisting that Steinmeier be part of their team.
So much for the alleged “European unity” that the German government always talks about. German Economics Minister Robert Habeck called the affair a “political mistake of the Ukrainians,” in a statement yesterday. The affair may also become a test for the coalition government in Berlin: FDP vice chairman Wolfgang Kubicki warned Scholz not to go to Kiev if Ukraine snubs Steinmeier—else it would become a coalition issue. Scholz meanwhile had his spokesman declare he has no plans anyway to go to Kiev for the time being. May it be hoped that the affair halts the prospect of German weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
