Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, during a ceremony commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II at the Soviet War Memorial in Berlin in May. Credit … John Macdougall / Agence France-Presse – Getty Images
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 World War II nationalist leader who collaborated with the Nazis.
Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine’s ambassador to Berlin since 2014, was one of the most recognized faces of the Ukrainian cause in Germany, he never shied away from making fierce criticism of what many saw as Germany’s slow response to the Russian invasion and often provoking the wrath of the country’s political elite.
But in an interview on the Jung & Nai show, which aired on YouTube on June 29, Mr. Melnyk defended the memory of Stepan Bandera, the leader of the Organization of Far-Right Ukrainian Nationalists during World War II. The nationalist group, which adopted the fascist ideology, collaborated with German forces when they occupied Ukraine and some of these forces helped in the mass killings of Poles and Jews.
Mr Bandera was not directly involved in the killings, because he was arrested in Ukraine in 1941 and put on “internally honorable” duty by the Nazis in a concentration camp outside Berlin to try to establish an independent Ukraine. 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, especially in the west, where there are statues of Mr. Bandera and streets bearing his name. .
But in Germany, which prides itself on its commitment to recognizing Nazi crimes and commemorating Holocaust victims, questioning this chapter of history is a red line.
Mr. Melnyk had already raised his eyebrows in Germany a few years earlier to visit Mr. Melnyk’s grave. Flag of Munich. When faced with the June 29 interview on the history of the role of the OUN in the massacres and anti-Semitic views of Mr. Bandera, Mr. Melnyk said there was no evidence for the claims, which are indisputable in academic circles.
“This is the narrative that the Russians are pushing to this day, and that has support for Germany, Poland and also Israel,” he said.
The comments of Mr. Melnyk immediately provoked the condemnation of German officials, as well as the Israeli embassy in Germany. Two ministers in Poland, one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters since the Russian invasion, also criticized the statements. This led Kyiv to distance itself from Mr. Melnyk, saying that his views did not represent the position of Ukraine.
Melnyk, fluent in German, was known in Germany for his passionate defense of more weapons for Ukraine to defend itself against the Russian invasion. He did not shy away from colorful criticism, such as calling Chancellor Olaf Scholz an “insulted liver health” to delay a visit to Kyiv in the spring. The German expression, which translates freely into a prima donna, outraged much of the German political establishment. But he gained avid followers in Germany among those frustrated with the slow support of his country.
Despite the frequent controversies provoked by Mr. Melnyk, had been seen as an asset to draw attention to Ukraine in a country where pacifist tendencies within the political establishment have led to doubts about the supply of weapons.
Mr. Zelensky announced the dismissal of Mr. Melnyk along with that of the ambassadors of India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary. Zelensky later called the change a rotation that is part of normal diplomatic practice.