Berlin Germany January 23 ANI Ukrainian Ambassador to Berlin Andriy Melnyk on Sunday welcomed the resignation of the commanding officer of the German Navy, Vice Adm. Kay-Achim Schonbach, who had previously said that Crimea would never return to Ukraine despite Kiev's attempts to put pressure on Moscow, Sputnik reported.
Russia and Ukraine have increased tensions between the two nations, with Russian troops built up near the two nations' borders causing fears that Moscow could launch an invasion.
On Saturday, Schonbach requested to be relieved of his post after the controversial statement. The German defense minister Christine Lambrecht accepted his request, according to the vice-admiral.
Melnyk told the German newspaper Welt that we welcome Schonbach's resignation.
The ambassador stressed that Schonbach's statement calls into question Germany's international standing and credibility, not only from the Ukrainian point of view. Schonbach said on Friday at a conference in India's Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies that Crimea does not exist and that it will never come back. The vice-admiral viewed Western accusations that Moscow allegedly plans to invade Ukraine as nonsense. In addition, Schonbach stressed that India and Germany need Russia to confront the growing influence of China.
In a referendum held in March 2014, Crimea became a part of Russia in which 96% of Crimeans voted for joining Russia. Kiev considers Crimea to be a Ukrainian territory illegally occupied by Russia. Moscow has stated repeatedly that the decision made by the Crimean people was in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter. The Crimean issue is finally close to being closed, according to Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The West and Ukraine have accused Russia of amassing troops near the Ukrainian border in preparation for an invasion in the past few months. Russia stressed that it has no intention of invading Ukraine while insisting that it has the right to move forces within its own territory.
Russia has expressed concern over NATO's military activity near its borders and the ongoing military support for Ukraine, including an increase in the number of Western instructors in Donbas.