German Navy Commander Resignation Insufficient To Restore Trust In Berlin's Politics- Kiev

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2022) Resignation of the commander of the German navy who made controversial remarks on Crimea will not be enough for restoration of Kiev's trust in Berlin's politics, Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk said on Sunday.

On Saturday, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht accepted request of the navy commander, Vice Adm. Kay-Achim Schonbach, for resignation. It came a day after Schonbach said that Crimea would never come back to Ukraine and called the West's accusations of Moscow allegedly planning to invade Ukraine "nonsense."

"German Arrogance and Megalomania. Though Ukraine welcomes the timely resignation of the Inspector of Navy Kay-Achim Schonbach, this step is not sufficient to restore full trust in German politics.

The Government has to change its course towards Kyiv," Melnyk wrote on Twitter.

The Ukrainian diplomat welcomed Schonbach's resignation.

Russia has repeatedly said that it is open to dialogue with Western countries on the basis of mutual respect, and is not to blame for deterioration of relations.

The Crimean peninsula became a part of Russia in a referendum held in March 2014, where nearly 96% of Crimeans voted for joining Russia, but Kiev considers Crimea to be an Ukrainian territory illegally occupied by Russia. Moscow stated that the decision of the Crimean people was made in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Crimean issue is "finally closed."