The President of the Bundestag Arrives in Kyiv

The President of the Bundestag, Bärbel Bas, has arrived in Kyiv, where she will hold talks with Ukrainian leadership. This was reported on Twitter by Enrico Brissann, head of the protocol department of the German parliament.

“Bärbel Bas begins her visit to Kyiv. Today, she will honor the memory of the victims of World War II and the National Socialist dictatorship and will hold political discussions,” he wrote.

According to him, the President of the Bundestag has already been received by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Bas is visiting Kyiv at the invitation of the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk. Her agenda includes a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Since the start of military operations in Ukraine, no one from the German leadership has visited the country, unlike representatives from other states. In mid-April, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was supposed to visit Kyiv, but Ukrainian authorities canceled the reception, citing his alleged close ties to the Russian Federation. This has been criticized in Germany, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that he currently does not plan to visit Kyiv due to the president's situation. It is expected that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will visit Ukraine in the near future.