The Ambassador of Ukraine in Germany loses his post.
(Photo: dpa)
Kyiv/ Berlin The Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk has to vacate his post in Germany. President Volodymyr Zelensky recalled the 46-year-old diplomat on Saturday, as did the Ukrainian ambassadors in Norway, the Czech Republic, Hungary and India. Reasons were not given in the decree published by the President’s Office in Kyiv.
Selenski spoke of a normal process. “This issue of rotation is a common part of diplomatic practice,” he said in a video message on Saturday, without naming any of the five ambassadors. It was initially unclear whether Melnyk would be appointed ambassador to another high-ranking post in Kyiv or elsewhere after his dismissal.
The Ukrainian embassy in Berlin declined to comment on the decree. According to the Czech media, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian embassy in Prague also spoke of a planned change of several ambassadors.
A spokeswoman for the Federal Foreign Office said on request: “The Federal Foreign Office has not yet been notified of the ambassador’s dismissal.”
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Melnyk had not just made a name for himself as a harsh critic of the federal government since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Again and again he denounced in particular the German Russia policy. Most recently, however, the 46-year-old himself came under massive criticism for statements about the Ukrainian nationalist and anti-Semite Stepan Bandera.
The “Bild” and the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” reported a few days ago, citing Ukrainian sources, that Melnyk should be recalled and move to the Foreign Ministry in Kyiv. He could become Deputy Foreign Minister in the fall, wrote the “Bild”.
Melnyk was criticized for downplaying the Holocaust
Melnyk has been ambassador to Germany since January 2015 – an exceptionally long time for a diplomat in one post. Commentators in Kyiv also said on Saturday that this was about double the usual posting time.
In recent months, the diplomat has also caused a stir with his sharp criticism of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). Among other things, he accused Scholz and his ministers of being too hesitant to deliver weapons to fight the Russian attackers in Ukraine.
Last week he himself came under massive criticism for his statements about the Ukrainian nationalist and anti-Semite Stepan Bandera. Bandera was the leader of the radical wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) during World War II. Nationalist partisans from western Ukraine were responsible for ethnically motivated expulsions in 1943, in which tens of thousands of Polish and Jewish civilians were murdered.
In an interview with journalist Tilo Jung, Melnyk denied that Bandera was a mass murderer of Jews and Poles. The nationalist was deliberately demonized by the Soviet Union. The Israeli embassy then accused the ambassador of “distorting historical facts, playing down the Holocaust and insulting those who were murdered by Bandera and his people”.
The otherwise quick-witted Melnyk then said nothing about it for days, but then responded to the allegations with a tweet on Tuesday. He also expressly addressed his words to the “dear Jewish fellow citizens”. Melnyk spoke of absurd allegations, which he firmly rejected. “Everyone who knows me knows: I have always condemned the Holocaust in the strongest possible terms.” The Nazi crimes of the Holocaust are a common tragedy for Ukraine and Israel.
“In retrospect, I regret many emotional statements.”
Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt paid tribute to Melnyk after his dismissal became known. “Andriy Melnyk did everything in his power for his country. He is an unmistakable and tireless voice for a free Ukraine,” said the Green politician, but stressed that she did not agree with Melnyk when it came to Bandera. “Regardless of that, I wish him all the best for himself personally, for his future service and above all for his country.”
Melnyk had recently admitted errors in his communication. He could understand criticism of his person, he told the “Schwäbische Zeitung”. “We are all human and we make mistakes. You also try to correct these mistakes and learn from them. In retrospect, I regret many emotional statements.”. The Ukrainian Embassy in Berlin published the interview on its website on Friday.
With regard to the Russian attack on his country, Melnyk said: “My job here in Germany as a diplomat is becoming political. (…) Even if I don’t want that.” His task is “that people here in Germany understand what the bloodiest war on our continent since the Second World War means.”
More: All current developments on the Ukraine war in the live blog.