Commemoration of the end of the world war
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Bundestag President Bas meets Selenskyj in Kyiv and lays a wreath
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6 pictures This is Bärbel Bas
Photo: dpa/Kay Nietfeld
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Kyiv She is the highest-ranking German politician to visit Ukraine since the beginning of the war. On the anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, President of the Bundestag Bas is coming to Kyiv. She wants to set a special sign of solidarity.
Bundestag President Bärbel Bas arrived in Kyiv on Sunday, where she was taking part in the commemoration of the end of the Second World War in Europe 77 years ago. The SPD politician is the second highest representative of the Federal Republic after the Federal President and thus the most important German politician to visit Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression. She follows an invitation from the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk.
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Bärbel Bas and the President of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, greet each other in Kyiv.; background-size: contain; object-fit: contain)
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Photo: dpa/Andreas Stein
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At the start of her visit to Kyiv, Bas met with the Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal. He then wrote on Twitter that Ukraine was paying a high price for defending the civilized world. The country is counting on Germany’s support for reconstruction and for admission to the European Union.
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Bas had arrived in Kyiv by train that morning. The arrival was “without incident or delays,” said a parliamentary spokeswoman. On behalf of the German Bundestag, the SPD politician laid a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
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Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD) lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Kyiv.; background-size: contain; object-fit: contain)
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Photo: dpa/Andreas Stein
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The fact that she was invited to Ukraine “as a representative of the country responsible for the Second World War (…)” on the commemoration day marking the end of the war “is a big step,” said Bas on Sunday. Referring to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Bas said it must stop. Her visit is also a sign of democracy and common European values. She was previously received by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to photos posted on Twitter by a member of the Bundestag.
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The relationship between Berlin and Kyiv had been extremely tense in recent weeks. This was mainly caused by the unloading of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who wanted to travel to Kyiv together with the Presidents of Poland and the three Baltic States. In Berlin, this was seen as an unprecedented event and an affront. According to the Office of the Federal President, the irritations were cleared up during a telephone conversation between Steinmeier and Selenskyj last Thursday.
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Before the President of the Bundestag was last Tuesday Paid Content CDU chairman Friedrich Merz was in Kyiv. A trip by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is also planned in the coming days.
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With the visit, Bas wants to commemorate the millions of victims who were caused worldwide by the Second World War unleashed by Hitler’s Germany – in the Ukraine, but also in Russia, Belarus, Poland, the Baltic States and the other countries in Central and Eastern Europe. She would also like to commemorate the Jews murdered in the Holocaust in a special way, the immense victims in the civilian population and in the Red Army.
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The SPD politician also sees her trip as a special expression of the Bundestag’s solidarity with Ukraine. She wants to make it clear that Germany is firmly on the side of Ukraine, which is fighting for its existence, in the war of aggression initiated by Russia, which violates international law. Germany has supported Ukraine with around two billion euros since 2014. Bas also advocates continuing to seek a political solution to end the conflict through diplomatic means.
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It is still unclear whether and when Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will travel to Ukraine. Selenskyj invited him for this Monday. On May 9th, Russia celebrates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Scholz could take a “very strong political step” and come to the Ukrainian capital on May 9, Zelensky said at an event organized by the London think tank Chatham House last Friday.
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