German city refused to become a sister city with Ukraine’s Podilsk to avoid damaging friendship with Russia

The city of Suhl, located in the federal state of Thuringia in central Germany, has declined a sister city partnership with the Ukrainian city of Podilsk (formerly Kotovsk) in the Odesa region to avoid “jeopardizing” its friendship with the Russian city of Kaluga.

This was reported by the local publication MDR.

The mayor of the Ukrainian city, Oleh Albansky, proposed the partnership to Suhl’s mayor, André Knapp. However, Suhl’s city council rejected the proposal, stating that it might “endanger the existing partnership with the Russian city of Kaluga.”

Knapp, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), criticized the city council’s decision, calling it “strange.” In his opinion, a sister city relationship with the Ukrainian city would have been “a positive signal.”

In Thuringia, the right-wing “Alternative for Germany” (AfD) party won in the local elections in September. Recently, sentiments in Germany have often leaned negatively toward Ukraine. For example, over the summer, Michael Kretschmer, the Prime Minister of Saxony, urged for a reduction in assistance to Ukraine.

Additionally, Germany has significantly restricted entry for Ukrainians this year. According to media reports, Germany denied entry to 5,935 Ukrainian citizens since the beginning of the year, making them the largest group of foreigners refused entry by German authorities.