May 25, 2022

Bully Diplomat


Bully Diplomat

“My country is being bombarded, tens of thousands of people are dying in the bloody war of conquest that Russia has unleashed. If I make demands out loud, I can achieve more for Ukraine than writing diplomatic cables that often go unanswered. This is a matter of life and death, and every day matters."

–  Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk

Ambassador Melnyk is ready to use any means necessary to push German Chancellor Olaf Scholz out of his hesitation to supply heavy weaponry to Ukraine.

Melnyk's calls for military aid for Ukraine have often been viewed as unusual and undiplomatic for his harshness and impatience, but with such a dire situation in Ukraine, Melnyk's methods are understandable.

According to Melnyk, the real reason Germany has yet to come to Ukraine's aid is because Scholz is waiting for a ceasefire, which would mean Ukraine would no longer need assistance. Melnyk also believes that Scholz has overexaggerated his concern at being drawn into the war.

 

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Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

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