NEW DELHI, JULY 9
In a decree that gave no reason for the move, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the sacking of Ukraine’s ambassadors to Germany, India, Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary.
The sacking of Ukraine’s long-serving Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk came days after he called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz an “offended liver sausage” and German scientists who opposed the supply of weapons to Kiev “a bunch of weak-minded defeatists”.
Melnyk had served in Germany since 2014 when a pro-western crowd had stormed the President’s palace in Kyiv.
It was not immediately clear if the envoys would be given new assignments in Kyiv or in other foreign capitals.
India has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has increased its intake of Russian oil and coal. Hungary too, is lukewarm towards tilting entirely towards Ukraine.
If the recall of Ambassadors in these countries is taken as the failure of Ukrainian diplomacy there, then this explanation does not fit the sacking of Ambassadors of Norway and Czech Republic, both of which are supporting Ukraine.
Germany has been among the most reluctant of the big European powers to cast its lot entirely with Kyiv. It is also not willing to completely sever its energy ties with Russia.
Recently, Scholz sought Zelenskyy’s “permission”‘ to get back a turbine sent for repairs to Canada. This turbine will enable Russia to pump gas to Europe.
Ukraine has urged Canada to seize the turbine as its shipment to Russia would violate the unilateral sanctions imposed on Moscow.
The decree was published on the website of the Ukrainian president on July 9.
A little later, Zelenskyy tweeted, “the eyes of all aggressive political regimes in the world are now focused on what Russia is doing in Ukraine. Will the world be able to bring real war criminals to justice? If so, there will be strong support for peace on earth in the future.”
