Germany: Ukrainian ambassador boycotts concert in support of Ukraine
Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk during a virtual address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Bundestag on March 17, 2022. AFP - TOBIAS SCHWARZ
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
While mobilizations in support of Ukraine are increasing abroad, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier organized this Sunday, March 27 a "
solidarity concert
" with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany was naturally invited, but he boycotted the event.
Advertising
Read more
With our correspondent in Berlin,
Pascal Thibaut
“
The most unusual ambassador of all time
”.
This Sunday, March 27, the
Frankfurter Allgemeine
newspaper painted a portrait of the Ukrainian representative in Germany, Andrij Melnyk, omnipresent on television sets for several weeks.
His constant protestations, his unusual outspokenness and his attacks in interviews against German officials closed his last years the doors of the Chancellery and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Latest brilliance to date this Sunday, with the refusal to attend a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for Ukraine at Bellevue Palace, the seat of President Steinmeier.
Andrij Melnyk denounced the fact that the soloists, including the pianist Yevgueni Kissine or the baritone Rodion Pogossov, were all Russians.
An “
affront
” for the Ukrainian ambassador, in the midst of war against Russia.
"
My God, why is it so difficult for the Federal President to recognize that as long as Russian bombs fall on cities and thousands of civilians are murdered day and night, we Ukrainians do not want to " great Russian culture
," he tweeted.
Solidarity concert
The organizers for their part underlined that works by Ukrainian, Polish and Russian composers were performed by Russian, German, Ukrainian or Belarusian musicians.
Cerstin Gammelin, spokesperson for the German President, stressed that the "
concert offers the opportunity to send a common sign for Ukraine, a sign of all peoples who stand for peace and against war, whatever or their origin.
Works by renowned Ukrainian composer Valentyn Silvestrov, who fled his country, were also performed.
Ambassador Melnyk has had clashes with President Steinmeier in the past.
He reproached him for having supported the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. The diplomat had refused another invitation from the German head of state.
A secretary of state had recently judged the ambassador "
unbearable
" on Twitter, before quickly deleting his message.
►
To read also: Germany suspends the authorization of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Germany
Russia
Ukraine