Suhl says no to town twinning with Podilsk - citizen disappointed!

Suhl says no to town twinning with Podilsk - citizen disappointed!

A dramatic chapter in the city partnership between Germany and Ukraine: Suhl, the Thuringian twin town of Würzburg, has decided not to enter into a town twinning with the Ukrainian city of Podilsk. This decision was made in a city council meeting on October 30, where only nine out of 36 council members voted for talks with Podilsk. The rejection came without great discussion and reflects the opinion of the majority of the population, says Georg Father, head of the "Free Word" Local editorial team.

political tensions and historical ties

The city of Suhl, which has been maintaining a partnership with the Russian city of Kaluga since 1969, is now the focus of criticism. Despite Germany's continuing support for Ukraine since Russia's attack, historical ties and political considerations seem to have influenced the decision against Podilsk. Matthias Kind, a CDU city council that voted against the talks, emphasized that a partnership had to be assumed by the citizens and that the current situation with Ukraine makes it difficult.

CDU parliamentary group leader Lars Jähne, who brought the idea of a “solidarity partnership” into play, also expressed concerns. He criticized the decision to reject talks and described this as the "biggest mistake". Suhl's mayor André Knapp found the decision "strange" and asked how help can be expected from other countries if you have no discussions yourself. The formal cancellation of Podilsk will be expected in the coming days.