Selenskyj dismisses Melnyk as ambassador to Germany - to enable him to make a career leap?
Created: 07/10/2022 11:56 am
By: Christoph Gschossmann
Andriy Melnyk is no longer Ambassador of Ukraine in Germany.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed him.
Recently there was a stir about Melnyk's statements.
Update from July 9, 10:30 p.m .:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has commented on the recall of Ambassador Andriy Melnyk from Germany.
The decision was a normal process.
“Today I signed decrees dismissing some ambassadors of Ukraine.
This issue of rotation is a common part of diplomatic practice," Zelenskyy said in a video message on Saturday.
He did not name Melnyk or the other four ambassadors who had been recalled.
"New representatives of Ukraine will be appointed for the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Norway and India," Zelenskyy said.
The candidates would be prepared by the State Department.
The recall of Andrij Melnyk from Germany caused a stir, mainly because of the ambassador's controversial statements in the past.
As reports in the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
and
Bild
suggest, however, Melnyk could also be recalled as part of a promotion.
The 46-year-old could become the new deputy foreign minister in Kyiv.
Ukraine-News: Selenskyj dismisses Melnyk as ambassador to Germany
First report from July 9th:
Berlin/Kyiv – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Andriy Melnyk as Ukraine's ambassador to Germany.
The corresponding decree was published on the official website of the President of Ukraine.
In addition to Melnyk, the Ukrainian ambassadors to Norway, the Czech Republic, Hungary and India were also dismissed, according to the Presidential Office.
Reasons or a future use of the diplomats were not initially mentioned.
Melnyk dismissed as ambassador: Controversial statements caused a stir
During the Ukraine conflict, Melnyk repeatedly caused a stir with controversial statements.
Most recently, after days of silence, he rejected the accusation that his statements about the Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera played down the Holocaust.
"Anyone who knows me knows: I have always condemned the Holocaust in the strongest possible terms," Melnyk wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
The allegations against him are "absurd".
In an interview with journalist Tilo Jung, the 46-year-old 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 government in Kyiv then distanced itself from Melnyk's statements.
The statements made by the 46-year-old to the Chancellor also caused a stir among the German population.
Olaf Scholz had initially rejected a visit to Ukraine after Kyiv had explicitly disinvited Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Melnyk then described the chancellor as "offended liverwurst".
Scholz finally traveled to Ukraine in June and Melnyk publicly stated that he later regretted his statements.
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Ukraine: Melnyk leaves Germany – reports of a move to the Foreign Ministry
The
Bild
and the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
recently reported, citing Ukrainian sources, that Melnyk should be recalled and move to the Foreign Ministry in Kiev.
The 46-year-old could become Deputy Foreign Minister in the fall, wrote the
picture
.
Melnyk has been ambassador to Germany since 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.
(cg with dpa)
After taking Luhansk, Russia is now attacking Ukraine massively in Donetsk
, some of the residents have been called on to flee.
