The SPD is under pressure in the Ukraine war, several top comrades are criticized. The party leadership is trying its hand at détente. Will this do anything?
Andriy Melnyk is a friend of clear words, at least since the Russian attack on Ukraine also more drastic. He is “a soldier on the diplomatic front,” said the Ukrainian ambassador in an interview with the newspaper, who sees his mission in “keeping Ukraine high on the agenda of German politics.”
Melnyk formulates his criticism accordingly sharply, which does not always come across as elegantly diplomatic. The SPD in particular is feeling the effects of this. The verbal attacks are so violent that the party leadership apparently felt compelled to seek talks with Melnyk.
After repeated criticism by the Ukrainian ambassador of the Social Democrats’ Russia policy, co-boss Saskia Esken wanted to meet the uncomfortable diplomat this Wednesday.
Esken’s goal: that “to cultivate open and trusting dialogue”.
Melnyk’s hope: The SPD “FINALLY” gives the green light for the supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine and for the embargo of Russian gas and oil, at the invitation.
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So far there have been contradictory signals from the SPD on the question of the delivery of heavy weapons, while the Greens and FDP are in favour. The entire traffic light government has rejected a general energy embargo.
SPD top politicians massively criticized
While Esken tries his hand at détente, Melnyk freely lets it be known what he expects – and from whom. The Ambassador of Ukraine had in recent weeks repeatedly condemned the earlier Russia course of the SPD in sharp words, for which she has been massively criticized for weeks. Numerous top comrades were recently pilloried:
- Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wanted to go to Kyiv together with the Presidents of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Steinmeier had previously been criticized for his Russia policy when he was foreign minister.
- Former Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel had a tough exchange of blows with Ambassador Melnyk at the weekend, accusing him of “targeted attacks” on Federal President Steinmeier and “conspiracy theories”. Melnyk told Steinmeier that he had “created a spider’s web of contacts with Russia for decades”.
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig is accused of being too closely tied to the Russian gas company Nord Stream 2 – and is now confronted with demands for consistent clarification and disclosure of all contacts between the government in Schwerin and the Gazprom subsidiary Nord Stream 2.
- Chancellor Olaf Scholz stands out as a procrastinator, as he has so far opposed the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine. The Chancellor of the Ukraine promised to finance direct armaments deliveries from German industry. Last but not least, Ukraine criticized the announcement as insufficient. They were noted in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv “with great disappointment and bitterness,” Ambassador Melnyk told the German Press Agency. In the ZDF “heute journal” he also complained: “The weapons that we need are not on this list.”
Zoff and hesitation instead of the “turning point” announced by Chancellor Scholz a few weeks ago – that’s the image that seems to be attached to the SPD at the moment. It is uncertain whether SPD co-leader Esken was able to dispel this impression in a conversation with Melnyk. After the approximately one-hour conversation, silence about the meeting was agreed, according to participants. But it was a “pleasant and friendly” conversation, and we wanted to keep in touch.
Co-boss Lars Klingbeil made a first attempt to counter the public pressure of the past few days and weeks. He reacted indirectly to Gabriel’s criticism of Ambassador Melnyk and spoke a kind of power word: “Everyone should concentrate on what it’s really about,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “People die every day in Ukraine. And responsible for this is Russian President Putin, a war criminal who is further intensifying his brutal war of aggression in the east of the country. Our focus is on supporting Ukraine. Everything else is secondary and totally unnecessary.”
Sources: ,, , , with material from the DPA news agency
Source: Stern
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