Many politicians in Berlin consider him a pain in the neck. Others admire him for his clear and often undiplomatic address to the government. After almost eight years as Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk is returning to Kyiv. Before leaving on Saturday, he spoke in a dpa interview about his record as an ambassador, about death threats on social media and about his future plans.
You were in Berlin as ambassador for almost eight years. What is your balance sheet, what have you achieved?
Andriy Melnyk: I think I’ve managed to get Germans interested in the topic of Ukraine, to ensure that people here really recognize and understand Ukraine. I regret that I did not manage to arrange for German arms supplies earlier – well before the war. But since the beginning of the war, the number one issue for me has been that the Germans understand that they, too, have a duty to support us militarily. When I come home now, I am proud that many weapon systems were delivered from Germany, which are helping us to liberate the occupied territories and our compatriots step by step. It’s a relief for me that we Ukrainians can also feel the turning point. Nevertheless – not enough help can arrive from the Federal Republic to drive out the Russians.
What was your biggest disappointment and what was your best experience?
Melnyk: The biggest disappointment was that the previous government – the grand coalition – didn’t understand or didn’t want to understand that this barbaric war could be prevented. Chancellor Merkel could have done a lot to counteract this.
The best experience was the evening before Chancellor Scholz’s speech on the turning of the era on Saturday, February 26th, when a member of the government informed me personally that Germany was giving up its decades-long blockade and was finally supplying us with weapons. That was the big breakthrough. Then there was the liberating feeling that we are not alone in the face of the aggressor Russia.
What are your feelings about leaving Germany now?
Melnyk: Saying goodbye is difficult for us – for many reasons. Because we have invested so much time, so much heart. It wasn’t just a dream job for me. Our son graduated from school here. Our daughter grew up here, German is her second mother tongue. This experience shapes you forever. Germany will never let us go.
Do you now know what new task awaits you in Kyiv?
Melnyk: There is an offer that I will become Deputy Foreign Minister. However, the government has not yet made a decision. That’s why I’m excited about what’s in store for me. I will probably see President Zelenskyy on Tuesday. And then hopefully he’ll tell me personally where he sees me in his big team. For me it is not the position that is decisive, but a new, exciting task and what I can really achieve. I could also imagine taking a break. That would certainly do me good after eight years of hard work in Berlin. But I’m afraid I won’t get it.
Her successor Oleksii Makeiev is coming to Berlin next week. What recommendations do you have for him?
Melnyk: I will not give him any recommendations. I wish that he finds his own way. He can’t be another Melnyk. The Germans wouldn’t want that either. He has to invent something else, he just has to be Makeiev. Probably the greatest task for him will be that the enormous empathy and support in German society for Ukraine is not lost.
Do you think the federal government will be relieved if you leave the country on Saturday?
Melnyk: I hope that the federal government will not just breathe a sigh of relief and say: finally this nuisance is gone. I wish that the chancellor and the traffic light would act more often of their own accord to help us Ukrainians without having to keep putting them under pressure.
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You have also been met with a lot of hate on social media in Germany…
Melnyk: Personally, I paid a high price. Not only did I experience a lot of hate speech and hate tirades in Germany, not everyone at home understood why I acted in this – often less than diplomatic – way. I experienced so much hate that it certainly didn’t do my psyche any good. That wasn’t safe either. I even received death threats. But I think it was still worth taking the risk. A lot of people in Germany also gave me a lot of support. I was able to experience a lot of encouragement. In the end it is the result that counts: Ukraine remains at the top of the agenda and Germany supplies us with heavy weapons that are crucial to our victory.
Will you continue to comment on German politics from Kyiv?
Melnyk: Probably yes, but certainly not as intensively as before. I don’t want to get in the way of my successor, I don’t want to be a substitute ambassador. But I can’t promise I’ll shut up. It’s possible that I’ll make one or two comments, even sharp ones, when I see that something is going wrong in Germany when it comes to supporting my homeland. That’s something I reserve for myself.
ABOUT PERSON: Andrij Melnyk represented the interests of his country in Germany for eight years. With his harsh criticism of the German government’s hesitancy in supporting his country in the war against the Russian attackers, the 47-year-old has not only made friends in Berlin. On Saturday he will drive to Kyiv, where he will take up a new post in the Foreign Ministry. His wife and two children (11 and 20) initially stayed in Berlin.
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