Anka Feldhusen is still in place on the Internet. “Germany and Ukraine share a close friendship. I look forward to further deepening this friendship and to being able to accompany Ukraine on its way towards Europe,” the German ambassador greets visitors to the German representation’s website. In real life, the embassy has been closed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The German diplomats were evacuated the night the attacks began. They are now in service from Zamość in Poland. With the exception of Anka Feldhusen. Nothing has been heard from her since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression.
According to information from Süddeutsche Zeitung the diplomat was advised by the head of the Foreign Office (AA) to take a vacation first – although help for Ukraine and fleeing Ukrainians urgently needs to be coordinated. The local ambassador Ernst Reichel was ordered to Zamość from Athens to step in temporarily. This is surprising, because Feldhusen is considered to have an excellent network in Ukraine, speaks fluent Ukrainian and is highly respected.
During the visit of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to Kyiv three weeks ago, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressly thanked him in the press conference for the fact that, unlike other diplomats, she had not yet left Kyiv. “I think she’s not just there because Mr. Scholz is there,” said Selensky. Scholz also thanked her for her “great commitment”.
Feldhusen had repeatedly campaigned vehemently for massive support for Ukraine. She had also advocated staying in Kyiv for as long as possible. She was obviously surprised by the sudden evacuation. The local forces were left behind, the reported afterwards image-Newspaper. “We have just received instructions from the AA to move in the direction of Lemberg,” she quoted from an e-mail from Feldhusen to employees. “You will find the embassy locked in the morning if you have not read this message by then. Please return home first.”
The Foreign Office only confirmed on Sunday that Feldhusen would be “temporarily represented” by Reichel “during a short vacation”. “Feldhusen is still the German ambassador to Ukraine,” it said. Reichel, who was German ambassador to Ukraine until 2019, is not officially accredited as an ambassador.