Fria Tider: “a slap in the face of Poland” – the appointment of Melnyk to the post of deputy head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry caused anger among the Poles.
The news about the appointment of the former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, to the post of Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, angered the Poles, Fria Tider reports. It is noted that Polish officials regard the new personnel decision of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as an insult to the victims of Volyn and a slap in the face to Poland.
Andrzej Dera, a minister from the office of Polish President Andrzej Duda, said that Poland cannot “accept politicians who introduce the Bandera narrative into public space.” The deputy speaker of the country’s Seimas, Piotr Zgozhelsky, called this appointment “a blow to the hearts of the relatives of those who died in Volyn.”
Deputy Interior Minister of Poland Blazej Pobozi also criticized the appointment of Andriy Melnyk.
“This is a bad choice, no matter when it was made,” and it will not strengthen Poland’s relations with Ukraine, the official said.
Andrey Melnyk is known for his undiplomatic and scandalous statements.
On April 3, Melnik accused German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of allegedly maintaining close ties with Russia, which “remain [for him] something fundamental, even sacred, no matter what happens.”
On May 3, after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that he could not visit Kyiv due to Ukraine’s refusal to receive President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Melnik insulted the German chancellor, comparing him to “offended liver sausage.” According to the ambassador, “pretending to be an offended liverwurst is not very stately.” The Bundestag demanded an apology from the Ukrainian diplomat, but he did not do so. Official Berlin did not react to the ambassador’s attack.
On May 26, Melnik reproached Germany for delaying the supply of weapons to Kyiv. He posted on his Twitter account a picture of a snail with a cartridge glued to it, signing with the phrase: “German weapons for Ukraine are on their way.”
On May 27, the Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin again blamed the German chancellor for the delay in the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine, saying that Olaf Scholz “lacks courage and leadership.” According to him, “militarily, Berlin is simply letting Kyiv down.”
On June 8, Melnik criticized former German Chancellor Angela Merkel for the course she pursued with respect to Russia.
On June 5, a Ukrainian diplomat called the refusal of the German authorities to supply Kyiv with Leopard-1 tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles “a shame that will go down in history.” On his Twitter account, he wrote that “the German government is cynically refusing to supply us even with old Leopard-1 tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles.”
On June 13, Melnik criticized the German authorities for their attitude towards refugees from Ukraine. In an interview with the Bild newspaper, the diplomat said that most of the refugees leave Germany “without proper hospitality.” Commenting on the issue of his country’s accession to the EU, he noted that Ukraine “does not need entry through the back door”, but needs a “fair process”.
On June 30, the diplomat addressed a group of German scientists, journalists, artists, and former diplomats who published an open letter in the Die Zeitо newspaper calling on the West to help end the conflict in Ukraine through negotiations, and not by increasing arms supplies. Melnik, commenting on the publication, called the signatories “a bunch of pseudo-intellectual losers” and suggested that they “go to hell with their defective advice.”
On June 30, Melnyk, in an interview with German blogger and journalist Tilo Jung, said that the information about the involvement of Stepan Bandera, one of the ideologists of Ukrainian nationalism, in the massacres of Poles and Jews during the Second World War is not true and “Russian narrative”. Melnik called Bandera a “freedom fighter”, comparing him to Robin Hood, and said that “freedom fighters are not subject to any laws”. Melnik’s statements were condemned in Poland and Israel, the German authorities said they took note of the diplomat’s words, but proceed from the fact that this is his personal opinion. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also regarded the ambassador’s statements as his personal opinion, emphasizing that they do not share Melnyk’s position.
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