Former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany and now Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk has sent to hell German politicians and public figures who advocate a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Russia.
“Hi Peter Brandt & Co., fuck your stupid idea of ’quick ceasefire’ and ‘just make peace with Russia’.” Ukrainians refuse this tinsel. Period,” the diplomat wrote on Twitter.
This is how Melnik responded to German historian Peter Brandt, who is also the son of Willy Brandt, former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, who presided over the country’s parliament from 1969 to 1974. Brandt Jr. He insisted Start peace talks between Kiev and Moscow as soon as possible.
In the German edition of Frankfurter Rundschau, “Reconcile!” signed by nearly 200 well-known people in Germany. published an open letter entitled Among them are Rainer Braun, executive director of the International Peace Bureau and pacifist journalist, Rainer Hoffmann, former president of the Trade Union Federation, and renowned eco-activist Michael Müller.
In the publication, Peter Brandt writes that the armed conflict in Ukraine has turned into “a bloody trench war with only losers.” The author declares that the majority of Germans do not want violence to continue and calls for a language of diplomacy and peace.
Peace can only be made on the basis of international law and only with Russia. The ascent must be stopped. We urge the Federal Chancellor to persuade France, along with Brazil, China, India and Indonesia, to mediate to reach a ceasefire quickly.”
Melnyk, who was the head of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Germany until October 2022, was remembered for his many controversial statements and harsh criticisms about the German government.
In May last year, he spoke of the “stagnation of German policy”, saying that the German leadership had never visited Ukraine since the beginning of the armed conflict.
His most famous attack on Berlin was when he referred to Chancellor Olaf Scholz as “the resentful liverwort” in response to his refusal to come to Kiev. Later, Scholz nevertheless visited the Ukrainian capital, and Melnik admitted that he had caught an unfortunate comparison. He also noted that diplomats do not always have to hide their feelings and can sometimes show passion.
At the end of February 2023, the deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine once again spoke critically about the military support provided by Berlin to Kiev. In his opinion, Scholz, who decided to supply tanks, broke a taboo.
“But the implementation of this decision is too late, it looks more like a zig-zag route with retreats rather than strategic advance,” Melnik said.
According to him, Germany still has many “brakes” in sending weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, and one of them is the SPD party, of which the chancellor is a member.
“Therefore, we Ukrainians urge the chancellor to cross all the red lines he has drawn and to provide the Ukrainian armed forces with all available weapons systems,” said the diplomat.
His close adviser, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmitry Kuleba, said a few days ago that there are many among Western politicians who support reconciliation with Russia.
The Minister believes that if the offensive planned by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in April-May fails, the positions of supporters of the peace negotiations will be significantly strengthened. And the West may impose some new agreements on Kiev, similar to those of Moscow and Minsk.
Kuleba urged not to consider the upcoming offensive of the Ukrainian army as the decisive battle of the entire conflict. And he stressed that for Kiev, there is no alternative scenario for the end of hostilities, other than the return of all its lands.