Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

German FM Refuses to Meet Ukrainian Amb. to Berlin


Tue 07 Jun 2022 | 12:07 AM
Israa Farhan

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock refused to meet with Andriy Melnyk, the Ukrainian ambassador to Berlin, according to the "Bild" newspaper.

The paper quoted the German Foreign Ministry as saying, "Baerbock intends to hold meetings with colleagues at the level of foreign minister, not at the level of ambassadors."

On her part, Baerbock said that she is in constant contact with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

In response, Melnyk condemned the German minister's decision, saying, "I want the German chief diplomat to find time to meet the Ukrainian ambassador," adding that no formula can replace the "secret conversation".

Melnyk has long criticized Berlin for its reluctance to Supply Ukraine with weapons.

Recently, in an interview with the "Funke" media group, he expressed his disappointment that 15 "Gepard" self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, which Berlin promised to send to Kyiv, will not arrive until the end of next July and another 15 at the end of August.

According to the Ukrainian ambassador, Germany could send at least 100 "Marder" infantry vehicles from its industrial stocks and more than 30 vehicles from German army stocks to Ukraine, as well as 88 "leopard 1" tanks.