Soren Pellmann, a member of the Left Party in Germany, was denied entry to Ukraine and deported without explanation.
Pellmann, a prominent member of the Bundestag, was on a fact-finding mission to Kyiv when he was stopped at Lviv train station and ordered to leave the country. The Left Party stated that this occurred despite intervention by the German embassy in Kyiv.
“Ukraine refused me entry. I am horrified and angry,” Pellmann said on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday evening, after his deportation. “The reasons for this are anyone’s guess, but it is probably my commitment to an immediate ceasefire, a peaceful solution and a halt to arms exports.
“It paints a frightening picture of basic rights such as freedom of expression when a candidate for EU membership denies entry to MPs from EU countries,” Pellmann added. “I wanted to see the situation in the country for myself. This has now been prevented.
“Apparently there is a list of public figures who have taken a critical stance and are no longer allowed to enter Ukraine,” the 47-year-old politician from Leipzig explained in a video message on X.
According to the party, Pellmann was traveling with two assistants. They were taken off the train in Lviv and held for about two hours, before being sent back to Poland. The Ukrainian authorities did not offer any explanation for their deportation.
Pellmann told the outlet Die Welt that the purpose of his trip was to visit Leipzig’s twin city, Kyiv, and speak directly with Ukrainian citizens. He denied any connections to Russia.
“I have always spoken out against arms deliveries. That is my right as a member of the Bundestag,” he told the newspaper.
The Foreign Ministry in Berlin confirmed to Die Welt that it was in “direct contact” with both Pellmann and the Ukrainian authorities. The German embassy in Kyiv had tried to intercede on his behalf, but apparently to no effect.
Pellmann’s deportation comes as Ukraine is seeking more weapons, ammunition and equipment from NATO at the US-led bloc’s summit in Washington. Germany has been a major supporter of Ukraine in the EU, committing an estimated $34 billion to Kiev’s war effort.