Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has traveled widely. He visited Washington, London, Paris, Brussels and Warsaw, the most important allies in the fight against enemy troops. Only in Germany, also an important partner, was Selenskyj not yet. He only gave a speech in the Bundestag via video. One reason for the previous waiver is certainly the irritation in the relationship between the two governments at the beginning of the war. Scholz had refrained from traveling to Kiev in the first few months, partly because the Ukrainian leadership had uninvited Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the time.
But now the time may be ripe. In May, it is said, the Ukrainian President could finally come to Germany – for the presentation of the Charlemagne Prize to him and the Ukrainian people in the Coronation Hall of Aachen City Hall on May 14th.
In any case, the organizers are preparing for such a scenario, as the city of Aachen announced shortly before Easter. Personal participation depends “strongly on the then existing war situation and the corresponding security concepts”. If Zelenskyj cannot attend in person, he should be connected via video. Planning is also underway for this variant.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has already been officially announced as a speaker. The “Bild am Sonntag” now reports that Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will also come to Aachen and give the laudatory speech. There is also speculation that Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki or President Andrzej Duda and President Emmanuel Macron from France could arrive from Poland.
In order to enable the international guests to participate, the date for the award ceremony has already been postponed. It will not take place on Ascension Day (May 18) as usual, but four days earlier. This should prevent “an overlap with a relevant event on the following day”, the city of Aachen announced. What is meant is the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, which begins on May 19 – the day after Ascension Day. In order to arrive on time, you have to depart from Europe the day before. Among others, von der Leyen, Scholz and Macron will take part in the summit.
Zelenskyi had not traveled abroad at all for the first ten months after the invasion. He then flew to Washington just before Christmas to meet US President Joe Biden. The US is by far Ukraine’s most important arms supplier. Visits to London, Paris, Brussels and finally Warsaw followed.
Scholz had visited Selenskyj in Kiev in June together with Macron, the then Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. In February, Macron and Scholz met the Ukrainian President together in Paris. When asked whether Scholz would now travel to Aachen for the Charlemagne Prize ceremony, a government spokeswoman only replied on Sunday: “The Chancellor’s appointments are usually announced on Friday of the previous week as part of the government press conference.”
The Charlemagne Prize of the City of Aachen has been awarded since 1950 to personalities who have made a contribution to the unity of Europe. Last year, the Belarusian civil rights activists Svetlana Tichanovskaya, Veronika Zepkalo and Maria Kolesnikova were honored.
