Top lawmakers from Germany’s ruling coalition made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday in a show of cross-party solidarity for Kiev – and of domestic unity in Berlin.
Conservative Jens Spahn and Matthias Miersch of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are due to hold talks in the Ukrainian capital to discuss further German support and diplomatic efforts to end the Russian invasion.
But the visit also represents an effort by the squabbling coalition allies to move past a rocky start since the government, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, took office in May.
Speaking to reporters on the train from Poland, Spahn said the trip underlined that the German parliament, as well as the government, stands firmly with Ukraine.
“It is therefore a good sign for Ukraine, but also a good sign of the coalition’s determination,” he argued, adding that “it is [Russian President Vladimir] Putin who wants war, who does not want peace.”
Miersch called the trip a “clear signal of support” and stressed the importance of making it a joint message.
The pair refused to be drawn on the question of German support for peacekeeping efforts after a potential ceasefire, with Spahn calling any speculation “premature.”
The best security guarantee for Ukraine is a strong Ukrainian military, he said, arguing that “no other army can achieve what the Ukrainian army can.”
Like other foreign visitors, the delegation travelled by rail due to Ukraine’s closed airspace.
En route, they stopped in the Polish city of Rzeszow to meet German soldiers operating two Patriot air defence systems that protect the local airport, a key hub for Western arms deliveries to Ukraine.
The visit comes as Merz’s coalition – made up of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU) and the SPD – seeks to display unity as lawmakers return to Berlin following the summer recess.
Spahn, who served as Germany’s health minister during the coronavirus crisis, is the parliamentary leader for the CDU/CSU bloc, with Miersch fulfilling the role for the SPD.
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