After returning from Ukraine, the speaker of the German parliament, Bärbel Bas, spoke in favor of the quick accession to the EU of a country that was attacked by Russia. The SPD politician said on Monday evening in ZDF that, unlike French President Emmanuel Macron, he hopes that “it will not take decades”. Of course, other countries also waited for membership of the European Union. However, procedures and timetables would need to be accelerated in order to create a “real perspective”.
Bas visited Ukraine over the weekend. She told RTL broadcaster that President Volodymyr Zelensky made it clear that he wanted to accelerate EU accession. In June, the European Commission wants to assess whether Ukraine can become an official candidate for EU membership. A positive decision would still require the consent of all EU countries. Only then could accession negotiations begin. Zelenskiy said on Monday evening that he hoped Ukraine would be granted candidate country status as early as June.
The speech by the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, on the anniversary of the end of World War II, in which, contrary to the expectations of some observers, he did not announce a general mobilization, is not a reason for relief – neither here nor in Ukraine Bas. he said in the ZDF “heute journal”. Other German politicians also reacted cautiously to the statements of the Kremlin chief. Foreign CDU politician Norbert Röttgen told the German editorial network (RND) that, claiming that a “special operation” would prevent NATO’s invasion of Russia, Putin could now declare “success” at any time – namely, that he had repulsed this never-threatening attack to be able to.
Putin has made it clear that he wants to “wipe Ukraine off the map,” said Bundestag Defense Committee chairwoman Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP) in ARD’s Focus. Hence, Germany and the West must be “strong and defensible” to defend democracy. Former NATO General Egon Ramms emphasized in ZDF’s Heute Journal that from his point of view the celebration of the anniversary in Moscow took place “with a slow foam” compared to previous productions. However, like Strack-Zimmermann, he is concerned that the dispute will continue for a long time.
CDU foreign affairs expert Roderich Kiesewetter, who traveled to Ukraine with party leader Friedrich Merz, expects more civilian casualties in the country than previously thought. “The information … ranges from over 3,000 to 250,000,” said Kiesewetter of the Augsburger Allgemeine (Tuesday). “It will take years to verify the true numbers as many victims are still missing under the rubble and mass graves are still being discovered.”