Neuhoff told POLITICO that his trip had been called off due to Ukraine’s objections. He said Kyiv had first notified the office of Parliament President Roberta Metsola of their concerns and their intention to deny him entry, with Metsola’s office then relaying the information to the SEDE secretary, who in turn informed him.
The German MEP has traveled to Russia several times in recent years, including to Sochi last month. He has previously argued that any peace plan between Moscow and Kyiv should address “the root causes that led to the Russian invasion” and that Ukraine should be prevented from joining NATO — positions widely seen as mirroring Kremlin talking points.
In a statement to POLITICO clarifying his political position, Neuhoff stressed that he is “strictly neutral” rather than pro-Russia or pro-Ukraine. But he also criticized the EU’s approach of turning Ukraine into a “steel porcupine” as a “grave strategic error” that was harming the bloc’s relations with Moscow.
In a letter to Metsola, obtained by POLITICO, Neuhoff denied having any ties to Moscow and urged the Parliament president to file a complaint with Kyiv over their threat to refuse him entry. He also defended his decision not to withdraw from the delegation, which left it unable to go ahead with the visit.
He told POLITICO that the Ukrainian authorities had refused “to produce the evidence they claim to possess” proving he is a “security risk” with links to the Kremlin, or that he has ever visited Donbas, the Russia-occupied region in eastern Ukraine.
“The allegations that I maintain political relations with the Russian Federation and that I have been illegally present in the Donbas are untrue,” he said.
Ukraine’s interior ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.