Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed his ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk, in accordance with a decree printed by the presidential chancellery.
Ukraine's ambassadors to Norway, the Czech Republic, Hungary and India had been additionally dismissed, the decree stated. It didn't state why, or what the diplomats would do sooner or later.
Melnyk turned recognized for his repeated calls for for extra help from the German authorities, within the type of heavier weapons, as Russia's assaults continued within the conflict launched by Moscow on February 24.
Lately, Melnyk got here beneath strain for defending the Ukrainian nationalist chief Stepan Bandera, who led a gaggle accountable for ethnic cleaning and the bloodbath of tens of hundreds of Poles and Jews throughout World Warfare II.
Melnyk denied that Bandera was a mass assassin, saying he had been intentionally demonized by the Soviet Union, in feedback throughout an interview.
The Israeli embassy accused Melnyk of "distorting historic information, trivializing the Holocaust and insulting those that had been murdered by Bandera and his folks."
Melnyk initially didn't reply however later, he rejected the accusation. "Everybody who is aware of me, is aware of: I've all the time condemned the Holocaust within the strongest attainable phrases," Melnyk tweeted, calling the accusations "absurd."
Melnyk has served as ambassador to Germany since January 2015, longer than diplomats often stay in a publish. Commentators in Kiev additionally famous that this was twice the standard posting time.
Some German media, together with Bild and Süddeutsche Zeitung newspapers, reported that Melnyk is to be moved to the International Ministry in Kiev, citing Ukrainian sources.
