2023-05-04 12:09:00
Irritations between Ukraine and Germany: Zelenskyj’s visit to Berlin was not kept secret. The police are investigating for betrayal of secrets.
May 4 update at 1:56 p.m: Information leak with consequences: The Berlin police have initiated investigations before a possible visit by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj on suspicion of betrayal of secrets. Confidential details about the planning of the state visit had appeared in a Berlin newspaper article. The police have never officially made any statements about this, the investigators emphasized in a statement. The procedure is intended to clarify how the information was able to leak out in advance. Kiev was very disappointed with the publication and is considering canceling the planned visit for security reasons.
Journey from Selenskyj to Berlin: the police are now investigating because of the treason of secrets
First report from May 4th, 11.15 a.m: Kiev/Berlin – The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj comes to Berlin on May 13th. This became known yesterday, a good week before his visit. And this despite the fact that the Ukrainian head of state’s trips are actually carried out under the strictest security regulations and are usually kept secret up to the last minute.
This also worked on Selenskyj’s previous trips abroad: For example, on Wednesday (May 3), when Selenskyj surprisingly turned up in Finland. The media and the public only knew about it after he had landed. It was also a surprise that Zelenskyj was in the Netherlands on Thursday (May 4).
Zelensyj trip to Berlin leaked – Kiev apparently highly upset
But why is it already known that Zelenskyj will be in Berlin in a week – including the hotel where he will stay and individual program items?
Selenskyj also asks this question himself, who was apparently taken by surprise by the fact that his visit to Germany is already being talked about. The annoyance in Kiev seems great: They are “very disappointed” that “apparently very sensitive security policy information was published deliberately from German sources,” pro-government Ukrainian sources said t-online.de.
Indication of Selenskyj’s visit to Berlin: is Ukraine canceling his trip again?
Selenskyj should now even consider canceling the trip to Berlin again. The indiscretion on the German side was “irresponsible” and could “call into question a possible visit by the Ukrainian president,” according to government circles in Ukraine. The safety concerns about the Ukraine wars could now be too big.
Rightly so: the ex-Ukrainian ex-president only called out on Wednesday (May 3). Dmitry Medvedev to “physically eliminate” Zelenskyj and his clique. The head of the Russian lower house, Vyacheslav Volodin, also called for the government in Kiev to be “destroyed”. The reason was an alleged assassination attempt by Ukraine on the Russian President Wladimir Putinwhich according to experts but was probably a staging.
Selenskyj’s visit to Berlin is already known – information leak from the Berlin police?
The information leak seems to have originated with the Berlin police, which are currently busy with the security measures for Zelenskyj’s visit at full speed. This was first reported on Wednesday Berliner Zeitung (BZ).
Die B.Z. With reference to “security circles”, he had a considerable number of details about the visit: Zelenskyj would land on May 13 with a special machine at the military part of BER Airport, the report said. Then he will probably check in at the Hotel Ritz-Carlton on Potsdamer Platz.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz then wanted to receive him on May 14 with military honors. At around 12 noon there is a meeting with the Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier planned, then the Ukrainian President will fly to Aachen in a helicopter, where he is to be honored with the Charlemagne Prize. A police officer is quoted as saying: “As the police in the capital, we have a lot of experience with such state visits, but routine must not arise. We are preparing with great effort and concentration.”
Chancellery has not confirmed Zelenskyy’s visit to Berlin
The Berlin police later confirmed the travel plans to other media when asked. The Chancellery and the Ukrainian Embassy have not yet confirmed Zelensky’s visit to Berlin. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said only that Scholz’s appointments would be announced on Friday of the previous week.
Zelenskyi had not traveled abroad at all for the first ten months after the Russian invasion. He only flew shortly before Christmas to Washington to meet US President Joe Biden. On the way back he stopped in Poland and met the head of state Andrzej Duda there. Visits to London, Paris, Brussels and Warsaw followed.
It is not the first time that there has been irritation between the Ukrainian and German governments since the Ukraine war: a year ago there was a diplomatic affront to Federal President Steinmeier, who wanted to travel to Kiev, but was there was apparently not wanted because of his earlier Russia policy. (smu with material from dpa)
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