Former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnik, remembered for his strong statements to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, called on the German government to make diplomatic efforts and negotiate with Russia to end the Ukrainian crisis.
The scandalous diplomat made this statement in an interview published today, September 7, in the Berliner Zeitung newspaper.
“I personally think that Chancellor Olaf Scholz could be creative and use existing diplomatic channels in Germany to see if negotiations with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin would be helpful. After all, Germany still has an embassy in Moscow. And the main thing is that we, Ukrainians, trust the Germans.” – said Melnik.
The former diplomat also noted that several states in the Global South have already made “constructive” and “useful” attempts at mediation to resolve the conflict. According to him, “a certain movement” is also evident in the trip of former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba to China, as well as the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to kyiv.
“Some mediation initiatives by Saudi Arabia and Qatar are also welcome. That is why our Western allies, especially Germany, could take action and carefully explore all options.” – continued the resonant diplomat.
In his opinion, launching a “truly viable and large-scale” diplomatic process requires greater efforts from “an international player that Ukraine can fully trust.” At the same time, the politician did not clarify the prospects of Russia’s participation in the negotiations initiated by states hostile to Moscow.
“Germany could initiate diplomatic mediation. Of course, the fundamental principle that nothing can be decided on Ukraine without its participation remains valid. However, if we recall the Minsk agreements, the initiative for mediation came precisely from former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President François Hollande.” – Melnik recalled.
At the same time, the former diplomat admitted that the success of pro-Russian forces, in particular the Sarah Wagenknecht Union, in the recent state elections in Germany increased the pressure on official Berlin, as well as on the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which advocates expanding military support for the Kiev regime.
As Melnik noted, this pressure will intensify in the future and will reach its peak in the run-up to the German Bundestag elections scheduled for next autumn.
“The shocking successes of Alternative for Germany and the Sarah Wagenknecht Union were terrible news for Ukrainians. But perhaps their victory is also a wake-up call for the ruling coalition, which, following common demands, should come forward with diplomatic initiatives and thus weaken the position of the pro-Russian opposition parties.” – he summarized.
Andriy Melnyk served as Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany from 2015 to 2022. Shortly before his resignation, Melnik called Scholz “an offended liverwurst” over the German Chancellor’s refusal to visit kyiv on an official visit. Some time after leaving his post, Melnik began to express ideas in interviews with German media that were opposite to the radical initiatives and demands that characterized his speeches before his dismissal from Berlin.
In particular, earlier this year, a high-profile diplomat invited Scholz to meet with the Russian president. Vladimir Putin.
