“Trust is the most important thing”
The new ambassador Makeiev distances himself from Melnyk
11/06/2022 04:56 am
Former ambassador Melnyk has often caused controversy with his direct statements. His successor Makeiev announces a new style. Step one: build trust. As a “warrior on the diplomatic front” he then wants to appeal to the government.
The new Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Oleksii Makeiev, wants to distance himself from the style of his controversial predecessor Andriy Melnyk. “My main goal is to create trust. For a diplomat trust is the most important thing,” he told the Funke media group newspapers. “If a diplomat loses confidence, he is no longer a diplomat. I want to be open-minded, persuasive and combative.” He hopes that one day this will be called the Makeiev style.
He was grateful to his predecessor, Makeiev added, for “putting Ukraine in the spotlight here in Germany.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy describes his ambassadors as warriors on the diplomatic front. “My job is to motivate the Germans and their government to help us and that we are not alone in this fight,” he said.
The new ambassador wants the West to continue making clear to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin what the consequences of using nuclear weapons will be. “Putin must be told that the use of nuclear weapons is not an option,” Makeiev told the Funke group. “The response from the whole world would be very clear – and it would force Putin to back down,” he suspected. Despite the threatening gestures, Russia must approach it “from a position of strength,” Makeiev warned. “Otherwise Moscow will continue. After the annexation of Crimea, Germany was also afraid to provoke Russia. Ukraine was left alone. Now we are seeing the result.”
Makeiev ruled out the possibility of negotiations with Putin. “We have no choice but to fight and push the Russians. The Russians want to destroy Ukraine,” he said. “This is an absolutely genocidal war. Russia is committing genocide. We are fighting for survival.”