Ukraine’s ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary have been given the boot, Ukraine’s presidential website revealed. The ordinance did not provide any explanation for the move.
It was not immediately clear whether the envoys would be assigned new posts, but German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported that Andriy Melnyk, who had served in Germany for more than 7 years, would be reassigned to another post in Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his diplomats to rally international support and military aid for Ukraine.
Kiev’s relations with Germany, which relies heavily on Russian oil and gas to power Europe’s largest economy, are particularly sensitive.
Melnik, 46, won plaudits for his aggressive efforts to push for more German support for the war – once accusing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of behaving like an “offended liver sausage”.
Diplomat Andriy Melnyk, who had served in Germany for more than 7 years, will be reassigned to another post in Kyiv. Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images
But controversial comments last week by the outspoken ambassador, who was appointed by Zelensky’s predecessor, about Stepan Bandera, a Ukrainian nationalist leader implicated in collaborating with Nazi Germany during World War II, thrust him into the spotlight with negative way.
By postal cables
