Zelenskyy invites German Chancellor Scholz to Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he has invited German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Kyiv next week.

Scholz could take a "very strong political step" and come to the Ukrainian capital, Zelenskyy said via video at an event hosted by London-based think tank Chatham House.

The invitation has been in place for a while, he said. On the same day, Russia will hold a military parade, which traditionally commemorates the Soviet army's victory over Nazi Germany.

There was no immediate word on whether the German politicians had agreed.

The German government announced on Thursday that Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock would travel to Kyiv first, but further details were not disclosed. Relations between Kyiv and Berlin have been strained after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was told not to bother coming to Kyiv in mid-April.

Germany is part of the Western alliance supporting Ukraine, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has yet to make a solidarity visit to the country. Scholz has traded barbs with Ukrainian officials in recent weeks because of Kyiv’s refusal to invite Germany’s head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whom Ukraine accuses of cozying up to Russia during his time as foreign minister.