Ukraine fires its ambassador to Germany after controversial remarks

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, fired his ambassador to Germany, a week after the diplomat gave an interview in which he defended the legacy of a nationalist leader of the Second World War who had collaborated with the Nazis.

Andriy Melnyk, Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin since 2014, was one of the most recognized faces of the Ukrainian cause in Germany, never hesitating to fiercely criticize what many saw as Germany's slow response to the Russian invasion and often angering the country's political elite.

But in an interview with the Jung & Nai show, broadcast on YouTube on June 29, Mr. Melnyk defended the memory of Stepan Bandera, the leader of the far-right Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists during the Second World War. The nationalist group, which espoused fascist ideology, collaborated with German forces when they occupied Ukraine and some of these forces participated in the mass murders of Poles and Jews.

Mr. Bandera was not directly implicated in the murders, as he was arrested in Ukraine in 1941 and placed in "honorable internment" by the Nazis in a concentration camp outside Berlin for attempting to establish a Ukraine. independent. Assassinated by Soviet spies in Munich in 1959, Mr. Bandera is still revered by part of the Ukrainian population for his leadership of the nationalist cause, particularly in the west, where there are statues of Mr. Bandera and streets that bear his name.< /p>

But in Germany, which prides itself on its commitment to acknowledging Nazi crimes and memorializing Holocaust victims, questioning this story chapter is a red line.

Mr. Melnyk had already raised eyebrows in Germany several years earlier for visiting Mr. Bandera's grave in Munich. When confronted in the June 29 interview about the history of the OUN's role in the massacres and Mr. Bandera's anti-Semitic views, Mr. Melnyk said there was no evidence to support these claims, which are unchallenged in academic circles.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">"This is the narrative that the Russians are pushing to this day, and which has du support in Germany, Poland and also in Israel," he said.

Mr. Melnyk's comments immediately drew condemnation from German officials, as well as the Israeli embassy in Germany. Two Polish ministers, one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters since the Russian invasion, also denounced the statements. This prompted Kyiv to distance itself from Mr. Melnyk, saying his views did not represent Ukraine's position.

Fluent in German, Mr. Melnyk was known in Germany for his passionate advocacy for more weapons for Ukraine to defend against Russian invasion. He hasn't shied away from colorful criticism, such as calling Chancellor Olaf Scholz "insulted liver sauce" for delaying a spring visit to Kyiv. The German phrase, which loosely translates to being a prima donna, has outraged much of the German political establishment. But it has won him strong supporters in Germany among those frustrated by their country's slow backing.

Despite frequent controversy over Mr Melnyk's comments , he had been seen as an asset in drawing attention to Ukraine in a country where pacifist inclinations within the political establishment led to reluctance to supply arms.

On Saturday, Mr. Zelensky announced the dismissal of Mr. Melnyk along with that of the ambassadors of India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary.