Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that he had fired a number of Kyiv’s top diplomats, including the outspoken ambassador to Germany on Saturday.
The resignations of Ukraine’s ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway, and Hungary were announced by Mr. Volodymyr, who also stated that fresh candidates were being prepared for the positions.
“This rotation is a normal part of diplomatic practice,” he said in a statement.
If the envoys will be given new roles was unclear.
As Ukraine seeks to repel Russia’s invasion on February 24, Zelenskiy has asked his diplomats to mobilise international backing and military assistance for Ukraine.
Germany, the largest economy in Europe and a country that depends largely on Russian energy supply, has particularly delicate relations with Kyiv.
Kyiv’s relations with Germany are particularly sensitive as Berlin is heavily reliant on Russia’s energy supplies. Both the countries are currently sparring over a German turbine undergoing maintenance in Canada.
Andriy Melnyk is well known among politicians and diplomats in Berlin. He was appointed by Zelenskiy’s predecessor as ambassador to Germany in late 2014.
The 46-year-old frequently participates in frank online discussions and has called out politicians and thinkers who oppose arming Ukraine to fend off the Russian invasion as appeasers.
When German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declined Zelenskiy’s offer to visit Kyiv, he once called Scholz out for acting like a “offended liver sausage.”
Berlin and Kiev are at odds right now over a German-made turbine that is being serviced in Canada.
Germany wants Ottawa to give the turbine back to Russian gas giant Gazprom so that it can pump gas into Europe, while Kiev had pushed Canada to keep the turbine because giving it back to Moscow would be against sanctions.
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