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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was not welcome in Kyiv. It was not disclosed who precisely within the Ukrainian management made this resolution. In any case, Steinmeier was not capable of be part of the small group of different European presidents who had been warmly acquired in within the Ukrainian capital.
Why did this occur to the German president? On this query, you possibly can stress each the phrase “German” and the phrase “president.” I’m not sure which ones ought to be confused extra.
Chummy method
First, nevertheless, a quick look again at a private story of mine. Within the late summer season of 2016, I used to be within the German metropolis of Weimar, the place I used to be awarded the Goethe Medal together with a distinguished Nigerian photographer and a no much less distinguished Georgian archaeologist.
The official program included a gathering with three international ministers. As a reminder, Germany, Poland and France kind the so-called “Weimar Triangle” — the international ministers of the three nations meet occasionally, not essentially in Weimar, however that is the place it was again then. In keeping with this system, the ministers had been scheduled to congratulate the three new laureates.
Ukrainian author Yuri Andrukhovych
Our assembly lasted between one and three minutes on the most. The French international minister appeared somewhat bored, maybe he was simply drained. The Polish international minister appeared sad with one thing and grumpy. Solely Steinmeier, Germany’s international minister on the time, was affable — it appeared he may hardly hold from patting us on the shoulder or again.
Then he stated one thing like “Oh, effectively executed, congratulations… The Goethe Medal! Nice, nice… can anybody inform me what it’s awarded for — what deserves?” That is how he spoke to the three of us. All of it occurred shortly, and nobody actually listened to our solutions. When the TV cameras had their pictures, the trio of ministers moved on.
Mannequin Putin sympathizer
Akinbode Akinbiyi, David Lordkipanidze and I later exchanged our impressions of this so-called “assembly.” We agreed that all of it appeared reasonably unprofessional and that we regarded Steinmeier’s query as extra of a joke, albeit a foul one. In any other case, it will have been much more unhappy. None of us had anticipated the ministers to bow to us. However this apparent superficiality — and the much less apparent however perceptible conceitedness — was disappointing to us.
It was notably disappointing to me — in any case, I got here from the nation for which Frank-Walter Steinmeier had provide you with his notorious formulation. I do not need to declare that it performed a decisive position in his additional profession or that it’s the motive Steinmeier was elected President twice. However I can say with certainty that it’s exactly due to this formulation that Ukrainian society sees him as a mannequin of a Putin sympathizer, and virtually as an “agent of Moscow.”
Written by Moscow?
The notorious formulation which misplaced all which means on February 24 was de facto supposed to cement Ukraine’s give up within the Donbas. It matches Putin’s plans to such an extent that the Ukrainians understandably attributed its true authorship to Moscow. Allegedly, Steinmeier was adhering to the desires of his Russian pals and agreed to lend his identify and urged auhorship to a venture that was disasterous for Ukraine. If secret diplomacy is taken into account to evil par excellence, the present German president holds the copyright to its embodiment — at the least within the eyes of many Ukrainians.
I don’t assume Steinmeier is conscious of how typically Ukrainian media, particularly since 2019, have talked about his identify together with the phrase “formulation.” It’s not an exaggeration to say it was hundreds, perhaps even tens of hundreds of occasions. Together with this “reputation” comes an avalanche of criticism, mistrust and outright rejection. For Ukrainians, the “Steinmeier formulation” has change into a synonym for one thing insidious and threatening, a type of Computer virus for the destruction of Ukrainian statehood.
Unequalled unpopularity
Maybe the “writer” himself, who has lengthy since moved to a better, if reasonably ornamental, place, has already forgotten the essence of the formulation he invented. However Ukraine has not forgotten, it has remembered all these years, virtually day by day, virtually at all times with a curse and at all times in reference to the identify Steinmeier. On the record of German politicians most disliked by Ukrainians, Steinmeier comes second solely to his outdated boss, ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. As for present politically energetic personalities, nobody comes near Steinmeier’s unpopularity.
Ukrainians are cautious after they see photographs like this certainly one of Steinmeier and Russian Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov
With Steinmeier’s instance in thoughts, Germany’s elite ought to acknowledge how a lot harm their ambiguous insurance policies in the course of the Russian-Ukrainian battle have executed since 2014. Within the course of, they haven’t solely harmed Ukraine, but additionally themselves: Branded as a associate who’s extraordinarily unreliable, cynical, and crafty, whose phrases egregiously diverge from their actions. Because of this, Germany has misplaced its relevance and — due to the efforts of each the earlier and present federal authorities — has change into an outsider.
‘Unimportant president of an unimportant nation’
Ukrainian society and the nation’s management, which is closely depending on public opinion, clearly felt the second when the USA and Britain stuffed the vacuum — the second they had been capable of say “no” even to German President Steinmeier and had to take action for strategic causes.
However the “unimportant president of an unimportant nation” can radically repair that state of affairs. Germany as a complete can recuperate its position within the eyes of Ukrainians — particularly as neither the US nor Britain are concerned: in offering efficient and dedicated help to Ukraine on the street to EU membership. Germany ought to accomplish that, nevertheless with out flirting with the aggressor and the ambiguities that go together with it.
Yuri Andrukhovych is a Ukrainian author, poet, essayist and translator. At this time he’s thought-about one of the crucial vital cultural and mental voices of his nation. Andrukhovych’s works have been translated and printed worldwide.
This text was initially written in Ukrainian.
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