Overview
- Andrij Melnyk told Der Spiegel he could imagine a second term as Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, remarks published across July 9–10 that he nonetheless called “rather unrealistic.”
- Melnyk proposed that former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder be sent to Moscow to use his personal relationship with Vladimir Putin as an informal mediation channel and asked Chancellor Friedrich Merz to consider that step.
- The diplomat expressed regret for some of his past inflammatory remarks — including comments about Stepan Bandera that led to his 2022 recall — while standing by other sharp criticisms of German politicians.
- Germany is likely to receive the proposal with controversy because Schröder’s close ties to Putin are widely criticized and the federal government previously reacted cautiously when Moscow floated Schröder as mediator in May 2026.
- Now serving as Ukraine’s permanent UN representative in New York, Melnyk’s suggestion reflects a pragmatic search for back-channel options and could force Merkel-era wounds, Polish and Jewish sensitivities, and Berlin’s domestic politics into the center of any mediation effort.