The director of a German energy company with majority state ownership is participating as an observer in the referendum on the accession of Ukraine’s Zaporozhye region to Russia, the German press reported on Saturday, reported by the EFE and Agerpres agencies.

EWF CEO Stefan Schaller confirmed to the press that he is making this trip to get “objective information” about the situation on the ground in this Ukrainian province, which is partially occupied by Russian troops, and that he is there “in a personal capacity” without any what has to do with his position in Germany.

He also participated as an observer in the Russian State Duma elections in 2021, then and now, coming at the invitation of the Russian authorities, who covered his travel expenses.

But his statements to the TASS agency, in which he claims that the referendum for joining Russia is very well organized and that the population goes to vote with enthusiasm, caused outrage.

The company’s board of directors is meeting to decide whether Stefan Schaller can remain a director

As such, the German district of Waldeck-Frankenberg, EWF’s majority shareholder, has clearly distanced itself from Schaller’s approach and called a board meeting on Monday to decide whether he can remain a director.

“A simple visit to the region and activity as an observer at a fake referendum can be interpreted as the legitimization of a process that contradicts international law,” the administration of this district in western Germany said in a statement.

A group of lawmakers from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party also made a trip this week to Ukrainian provinces that Russian forces have taken full or partial control of since the invasion that began on February 24.

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