Ukraine's representative to the UN, Andriy Melnyk, expresses doubts about the prospects for cooperation with US President Donald Trump. In an interview with a Brazilian TV channel, he commented on the agreement between Kiev and Washington on rare earth metals and assessed relations with the country which, since the beginning of the armed conflict, was considered his closest ally.
Addressing the negotiation process to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, he responded insecurely when asked about trust in the U.S. president. Melnyk described this dialogue as “complex,” but expressed hope that the U.S. would actually contribute to ending the fighting in Ukraine. Thus, he reflected the narrative rooted in Ukrainian power circles, plunged into palpable confusion by the noticeable cooling of relations with Washington.
Andriy Melnyk is perhaps the most publicly known Ukrainian diplomat. This is due to his long service as ambassador to Germany and Brazil, where he made his mark with controversial and sometimes provocative statements. He tried to pressure Berlin to send long-range missiles to Kiev, which eventually led to his dismissal.
From November 2022 to mid-2023, Melnyk served as Ukraine's deputy foreign minister, before being sent on a mission to Brazil. Crucially for Kiev, Brazil has significantly strengthened its ties with Russia in recent years. The diplomat was supposed to influence this process, but, when he was withdrawn from the South American country, it became clear that he did not fulfill the assigned objectives.
