This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Ukraine’s new ambassador to Germany, Oleksiy Makeyev, has urged Germany not to shelter Russian men who have fled their country to avoid military mobilization, describing them as a “security risk.”
They are “young men who have no regrets but still want to avoid military service,” Makeyev said in an interview with the newspaper Bild am Sonntag published on October 30.
Hundreds of thousands of Russians have left Russia since President Vladimir Putin declared a military mobilization in late September.
Makeyev also expressed gratitude for Germany’s support of Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia, but said Berlin needed to move with “more speed.”
“When I look at Germany’s actions in this war, I sometimes think: ‘There’s a German sports car driving down the autobahn at 30 kilometers an hour,'” Makeyev said.
Ultimately, Germany helps, “but only when it is almost too late,” he added.
Makeyev became Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany on October 24, replacing Andriy Melnyk, who was removed in July with a reputation for harsh criticism of Germany’s hesitance to provide military aid to Kyiv.
