Long lines surrounded the Reichstag, Germany's parliament, in Berlin on Wednesday as Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko got rock star-like treatment on his first visit to Germany since his election in December following the "Orange Revolution." The Bundestag's Social Democratic President, Wolfgang Thierse, feted Yushchenko as the representative of "the new, young Ukrainian democracy" and wished him the "strength and skill" necessary to preserve the freedom he and his party have won for the former Soviet country.

In his speech, which he pulled out of an orange binder, he delivered a clear message: Ukraine is part of the "European family," it wants to become a full-fledged member of the European Union and it wants Germany, the "motor of European integration," to help it get there. Yushchenko thanked Germans for their support of the Orange Revolution, which saw Yushchenko beat out former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who was running as the establishment candidate and sought victory with the help of rigged elections. Yushchenko also touched on the recent visa scandal that has jeopardized the political future of German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, until recent weeks the country's reigning most popular politician. Fischer loosened visa-granting policies for Eastern European countries and as a result made it easier for criminals and illegal forced prostitution rings to make their way into Germany and the EU. Without directly mentioning the affair, Yushchenko said he hoped Germany would make it easier for Ukrainians to obtain travel visas. Most Ukrainians, after all, are not smugglers or criminals.

Though Germans universally celebrated the Orange Revolution, Ukraine's subsequent push for EU membership and the untimely emergence of the visa scandal made the visit less comfortable than most would have liked. Thursday's papers reflect those conflicting sentiments.

"It was unfortunate that the Ukrainian president visited Berlin amidst the tempest over the visa scandal," writes the conservative Die Welt, noting that anything he said about the scandal would likely be used for domestic political gain here. But the paper says Europeans should take a wait-and-see approach to eventual EU membership for Kiev. "Yushchenko is right, Ukraine belongs to Europe," it continues. "It needs to be offered the prospect of closer ties, which can culminate in a 'privileged partnership.'" The paper adds that full membership for Kiev is something that can only be decided in the coming decades. At the same time, "it cannot be ruled out considering that Turkey has been given the green light."

The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung, impressed by what it sees as "European stature" in his speech, sees an arguably more important development in Yushchenko. During his visit to Berlin he very subtly sought to distance his country from Russia. In the stretch of his speech dedicated to Ukraine-Russian ties, he said Kiev wanted to integrate into NATO and he said he would help ensure the secure flow of natural gas and oil to Western European markets. "This was more than just a blow to Moscow," the paper writes. "It also underscores the fact that Yushchenko is conscious of the strategic importance of his country when it comes to raw materials." He also thanked German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder for seeking to assuage Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Orange Revolution. "If he managed to drive a little wedge between Schroeder and Putin to Ukraine's advantage," the paper concludes, "then his performance in Berlin was a success."

The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung says it is time for Germans to put their money where their mouths are. Yushchenko "self-confidently defended the right to be taken seriously as a European partner." It adds that the "success of all efforts to entrench democracy, rule of law and a market economy firmly in Ukraine depends on the fulfilment of this expectation." But the paper doesn't hold its breath waiting and points out a bit of government hypocrisy. "The coalition was only too happy to invite him as it was hoping for a bit of relief in the visa affair with the help of the Ukrainian revolutionary hero," it opines. "We will see whether those who clapped so loudly in favor of the freedom to travel at least grant the Ukraine what has been granted to Turkey." That, of course, would be EU accession talks.

Both Die Tageszeitung and the center-left Sueddeutsche Zeitung run features pointing out how wooden Schroeder appeared when he joined Yushchenko during a press conference after the speech in the Bundestag. And there's a reason for it: Schroeder is Putin's best friend in the West. It became clear after only a few minutes, the paper notes, "that Schroeder has little to offer Yushchenko, except cliches." Schroeder said he feels "great sympathy" for the changes happening in Ukraine and that he will do everything he can to bring a "new dynamic" to bilateral relations and building up economic ties. Germany will also "help out in Ukraine's introduction to the Euro-Atlantic structures." But he didn't offer anything else. Nothing about Ukraine's desire to join the EU. Nothing about easing visa restrictions for Ukrainians. To top it off, Schroeder made the comment that the new dynamic in the German-Ukraine relationship should not be "turned against anybody." Of course Yushchenko knew what he was talking about, and he offered a mild laugh. "By making the statement, Schroeder wanted to tell Putin that he should have no worries that he will give too much support to Russia's rebellious neighbor."