A planned delegation from the European Parliament to Kyiv was cancelled after Ukrainian authorities objected to the participation of MEP of Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) Hans Neuhoff. The visit, organized by the Parliament’s Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) for 1 December, was called off after Kyiv raised what it described as ‘security concerns’ regarding Neuhoff’s inclusion.
According to Neuhoff and two Parliament officials who spoke to POLITICO Brussels on condition of anonymity, Ukrainian officials first informed the office of Parliament President Roberta Metsola of their intention to deny the AfD politician entry into the country. Metsola’s office then passed the message to the SEDE secretariat, which notified Neuhoff, prompting the delegation’s cancellation.
Neuhoff has travelled to Russia multiple times in recent years, including a visit to Sochi last month. He has also argued that any peace plan between Moscow and Kyiv should address what he calls the ‘root causes’ of the conflict, and has said Ukraine should not be allowed to join NATO. Such positions are widely viewed within the EU as echoing Kremlin talking points and labelled as pro-Russian.
In a letter to Metsola, Neuhoff rejected allegations that he posed a security risk and denied any political ties to Moscow. He said Ukrainian authorities had not provided evidence to support their claims, including accusations that he had visited the Russian-occupied Donbas region. ‘The allegations that I maintain political relations with the Russian Federation and that I have been illegally present in the Donbas are untrue,’ he told POLITICO Brussels.
Neuhoff also defended his decision not to withdraw voluntarily from the group, a move that ultimately made it impossible for the delegation to proceed. He urged Metsola to file a formal complaint with Kyiv over what he described as an ‘unjustified denial of entry’.
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