Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has canceled his participation in the Federal Press Ball this Friday. The Federal President is of the opinion that it is currently “not the right time” for a ball, according to the Office of the Federal President. The main reason for the cancellation was the war in Ukraine.
However, this year’s annual event is supposed to be a “Solidarity Ball for Ukraine”. Also invited is the Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Melnyk, who recently made serious allegations against Steinmeier.
The Federal Press Ball is organized by the Federal Press Conference, a non-governmental association of journalists who report on German politics from the capital. The Federal President traditionally has a small but not unimportant role at the event: he opens the ball with the first dance.
Because of the Russian attack on Ukraine, the club that is hosting the ball wants to set an example: “This year the Federal Press Ball is also a solidarity ball for Ukraine,” said the club.
A fundraising campaign for Ukrainian journalists is planned, and the members of the federal press conference have been asked to donate in advance.
Steinmeier does not come, but wants to donate
Steinmeier has now informed the association that he would like to take the opportunity to make a donation. “The Federal President would like to refrain from participating in the Federal Press Ball this year,” says the official response to the invitation.
Melnyk had recently sharply attacked the Federal President in a Tagesspiegel interview. Steinmeier had for decades “made a spider’s web of contacts with Russia,” said the ambassador.
For the Federal President, the relationship with Russia is “something fundamental, even sacred, no matter what happens”. Shortly after the interview appeared, Steinmeier admitted his own mistakes in Russia policy for the first time.
More on the Ukraine war on Tagesspiegel Plus:
Most recently, there was a diplomatic scandal after Ukraine had signaled that a planned visit by Steinmeier to Kyiv together with the heads of state from Poland and the Baltic states was not welcome.
The Office of the Federal President disputes that the rejection could be related to Steinmeier’s displeasure with Melnyk. This refusal had “zero” to do with the person of the Ukrainian ambassador. It was still unclear on Monday morning whether Melnyk would take part in the ball.
Note on transparency: The authors are members of the Bundespressekonferenz association.
Source: Tagesspiegel
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