Scholz unexpectedly came to Kyiv. The surprise is not only the suddenness of his visit – the second since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, but also the time chosen for the meeting with Zelensky, Chancellor of Germany. Scholz is going to Ukraine after the collapse of the “traffic light coalition”, on the eve of his announced request for a vote of confidence. While Ukrainian social networks are joking about Scholz’s impressive suitcase, German media are trying to assess the reasons and consequences of this visit to Ukraine, particularly for the German establishment. We are talking, first of all, about taboo topics for Scholz and his party – Ukraine’s accession to NATO and the provision of Taurus missiles to Kyiv. Scholz remains a supporter of effective diplomacy, no matter how much effort it costs him. “Olaf Scholz in Kyiv. Is a truce coming?” – this is the question asked by a mass German publication Stern.
FAZ: “Berlin and Washington stood together on the brakes”
One of the most influential German publications Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes about the fact that Scholz went to Kyiv during the most difficult period of the war for Ukraine, due to the pressure of the Russians on the eastern front, problems with the maintenance of territories in Kurshchyna and the unknown that awaits Ukraine after Trump’s inauguration. The publication reminds that Berlin and Washington are jointly “standing on the brakes” regarding Ukraine’s accession to NATO. And criticizes Zelenskyi’s recent statements in his long-winded interview, where he linked the achievement of peace with Ukraine’s invitation to the Alliance, which could be a proper guarantee of the security of territories not captured by Russia. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reminds us that Trump probably does not foresee Ukraine joining NATO in his plan to end the war, because General Kellogg, chosen by him as a special representative on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, has repeatedly spoken about postponing our country’s entry into the Alliance.
German mass publication Picture writes that Scholz came to Kyiv on a secret visit, the details of which were not disclosed for the chancellor’s safety. His main goal is to communicate with President Zelensky. Why now? Bild clarifies: Scholz’s visit was planned even before the “traffic lights went out.” It is important for the chancellor to create leverage against Trump. While the newly elected American president talks about ending the Russian-Ukrainian war, Scholz plans to talk to Ukrainians about the Ukrainian position. During a strictly confidential conversation, he seeks to find out how Ukraine evaluates the prospects for peace, and promises to defend the Ukrainian position in the dialogue with Trump.
“Ukraine can rely on Germany: we say what we do. And we do what we say”, – notes Scholz.
The German chancellor’s first phone conversation with Trump went well. This gives Scholz reason to hope for further understanding with the 47th American president.
German state broadcaster daily news adds: about diplomatic initiatives for peace in Ukraine, Scholz repeatedly communicated not only with Trump, but also with Biden and Zelensky. Tagesschau speculates that the current visit is connected with the desire to reach a consensus with the Ukrainian president after he expressed his indignation at Scholz’s phone conversation with Putin. In addition, the broadcaster’s website mentions the possibility of a conversation about Ukraine’s accession to NATO. It is mentioned that the countries of the eastern flank of NATO, in particular, Poland and the Baltic states, insisted on inviting Ukraine to NATO at the Vilnius summit in 2023. At the same time, Germany and the USA did not talk about it.
German news resource Second German television reports: Ukraine hopes that an important decision will be made during the upcoming meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, but due to the reservations of the USA, Germany and Hungary, the probability of this remains low.
Visit at the height of the election campaign
The policy towards Ukraine became one of the topics of the pre-election struggle on the eve of early elections to the Bundestag, which will be held at the end of February. The positions of the coalition parties, in particular the CDU/CSU, the SPD, the Greens and the VDP, agree on the need to continue military and other aid to Ukraine. Instead, the parties “AfD” and “Bundenis-Schwarzroot” (BSW) oppose such support.
As ARD correspondent Vasyl Holod from Kyiv reported, President Zelensky also invited opposition leader Friedrich Mertz to visit Kyiv. “Perhaps Scholz hastened the visit to get ahead of Mertz”, the journalist suggested.
Pre-election mood is raging in Germany. We will remind that Scholz is planning On December 11, 2024, submit a request for a vote of confidence in your government, the vote in the Bundestag will take place on December 16. The move is necessary to formally dissolve parliament and call early elections, likely to be held on February 23, 2025.
Decision about vote of trust was a consequence of the collapse of the Svitlofor coalition after the dismissal of Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Scholz expressed satisfaction that the democratic parliamentary groups were able to agree on the date of new elections.
“Taurus” as a trump card in Germany’s pre-election debate
In his election campaign, Olaf Scholz emphasizes a balanced approach to the war in Ukraine: to support Ukraine with weapons, but not to allow Germany to be drawn into the conflict. At the same time, he criticizes his opponent, Friedrich Mertz, for promising to provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles if he is elected chancellor. Merz responded by accusing Scholz and his party of deliberately exploiting the fear of war to manipulate public opinion. Edition Berliner Courier clarifies: In the Bundestag, Mertz stated that it is expedient to threaten the Kremlin with the delivery of Taurus to Ukraine if the Russians do not stop attacks on the peaceful Ukrainian population.
Tagesschau too writes about the position of Green Party co-chair Franziska Brantner, who criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his SPD party for their position on Ukraine and instead expressed support for CDU leader Friedrich Merz’s course. In her interview, Brantner emphasized that cooperation with Mertz would contribute more to peace, freedom in Europe and support for Ukraine. She also blamed Scholz for missing a meeting with the leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries where aid to Ukraine was discussed, and compared him to French President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the event. In her opinion, this indicates shortcomings in Scholz’s approach to responsibility for European security.
Currently, Scholz announces the provision of assistance for 650 million dollars. It will be delivered to Ukraine already in December. According to the German government, since the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, approximately 28 billion euros worth of German weapons and military equipment have been delivered to Ukraine. This is reported by the publication ZDF.
Stern: Chancellor Scholz is getting criticism from all sides
Mass German edition Stern, commenting on Olaf Scholz’s visits to Kyiv, mentions the criticism that the German Chancellor has been subjected to recently by allies, in particular, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He noted that after the phone conversation with Putin, Russian attacks on Ukraine only intensified. “No one will stop Putin with phone calls”, Tusk wrote on the X platform. In his opinion, these attacks prove that “telephone diplomacy” cannot replace the real support of Ukraine from the entire West.
The publication reflects on the fact that Scholz’s visit takes place in a period of uncertainty regarding the future policy of the West towards Ukraine after the change of power in the USA. On the one hand, current President Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to use American missiles to strike targets in Russia. In response, Russia launched a new medium-range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads for the first time. On the other hand, the newly elected President Trump announced his intention to quickly end the war in Ukraine, which will be implemented with the participation of special representative Keith Kellogg.
Olaf Scholz’s visit to Kyiv reflects not only the current challenges in the relations between Ukraine and Germany, but also the broader context of European and world politics. Against the background of changes in the domestic political life of Germany, pre-election battles and uncertainty regarding the further support of Ukraine from the West, this visit is an important signal. Scholz demonstrates his willingness to conduct a dialogue with Ukraine and defend its interests on a global scale, even in difficult times for his government. However, the near future will show whether this visit will be able to change the dynamics of Western support for Ukraine and strengthen the position of the chancellor himself inside Germany.
