'Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Accused of Defending Nazi Collaborators, Likely to Leave Germany'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Andrii Melnyk, the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany who sparked controversy by defending a figure who collaborated with Nazi Germany, is expected to leave Germany.

According to local German media reports on the 4th (local time), the Ukrainian government has recalled Ambassador Melnyk to Kyiv and decided to leave the ambassador position in Germany vacant for the time being.

Ambassador Melnyk is known for appealing to Germany to provide more weapons to Ukraine. He once harshly criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, saying he "lacks leadership and courage," and emphasized that Germany should send the latest weapons to Ukraine.

However, some of his remarks caused controversy both domestically and internationally. In a recent interview with German media, Ambassador Melnyk denied the fact that Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera committed mass massacres against Jews and Poles, defending him. Bandera was a figure who, alongside the Nazis, carried out anti-communist movements and brutally killed people of other ethnicities.

Melnyk’s defense of Bandera sparked strong backlash in countries such as Poland and Israel, and the Ukrainian government appeared to distance itself from Ambassador Melnyk.

Ambassador Melnyk expressed his intention to apologize, stating that his remarks were "diplomatically inappropriate and hurt many people," but ultimately he is returning to his home country.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.