It had taken a while.

On Thursday, however, it seems to have been possible to calm or even end the diplomatic upset between Berlin and Kyiv because of the Federal President's canceled visit.

At noon, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj phoned each other for three quarters of an hour.

According to reports, the conversation went very well and was considered very important by both sides.

Because the Ukrainian side canceled Steinmeier's visit to Kyiv, which had already been scheduled for April, at short notice, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has so far refused to travel to Kyiv.

Eckhart Lohse

Head of the parliamentary editorial office in Berlin.

  • Follow I follow

Markus Wehner

Political correspondent in Berlin.

  • Follow I follow

Now Selenskyj and Steinmeier seem to have found a solution.

The Office of the Federal President said that Selenskyj said in the phone call that not only Steinmeier, but also Scholz and the entire federal government were welcome in Kyiv.

It does not matter in which order the journeys take place.

Steinmeier himself currently has no specific travel plans, and Scholz is also not aware of this.

So far, it has been agreed that the President of the Bundestag, Bärbel Bas (SPD), the second-highest-ranking official in Germany after the President, will travel to Kyiv on May 8 and give a speech there.

May 8th is an extremely important day of remembrance as it marks the anniversary of the end of World War II.

He also plays a major role in Russia, which attacked Ukraine.

Bärbel Bas's travel plans were confirmed by the Bundestag.

From the press office it was said that the President wished to travel to Ukraine.

"At the invitation of her Ukrainian counterpart," she wanted to commemorate all the victims of the Second World War and hold political talks with him.

The planning for this has been going on since the beginning of April.

The constantly changing security situation is observed.

Since such trips require careful and intensive coordination with the Ukrainian side and the responsible security authorities, no further details can be given about Bas' plans.

Steinmeier himself will speak at the federal congress of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) on May 8th.

The Ukraine war should be the focus of his speech.

Scare, even in Poland

The rift between Berlin and Kyiv arose after Steinmeier's planned April 12 trip to Ukraine was canceled.

The initiative for the joint trip of the Presidents of Poland, the three Baltic states and Germany came from the Polish head of state Andrzej Duda.

Initially, only the Presidents of Poland and the Baltic States planned the trip together.

Duda, who has a good relationship with Steinmeier, then invited the Federal President to come along, which he thought was a good idea.

The journey was then planned and coordinated between Warsaw and Kyiv.

The official delegation lists were handed over days before the travel date.

From a German point of view it was clear: there is an invitation to all five presidents.

As early as April 8, Steinmeier asked him to call Zelensky on the evening before the trip.

This phone call is said to have been firmly promised by the Ukrainian side through the Presidential Chancellery.

The cancellation is also said to have caused alarm on the Polish side.