Latest news with #Melnik
The Province
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Province
Coquitlam high school teacher reprimanded for discriminatory remarks
Evgueni Melnik was teaching comparative civilizations when he made statements critical of Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ identity File photo of a classroom Photo by Getty images A Coquitlam high school teacher has been reprimanded for making racially insensitive and discriminatory statements during classroom discussions and chats with students. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Evgueni Vladimirovitch Melnik was teaching a comparative civilizations class in May 2021 when he talked about the Epic of Gilgamesh and the concept of immortality. 'Melnik drew a line graph on the blackboard with 'Animals,' 'Humans,' 'Jesus' and 'God.' This was meant to illustrate the material and non-material nature of all human beings,' said a summary of the punishment on the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation website posted online Tuesday. 'In discussing humans, Melnik said that humans were complex thinkers. With respect to God, Melnik said, 'Everyone wants to reach this.' At some point during the lesson, Melnik referenced Black Lives Matter protesters and circled 'Animals' at least three times. In a conversation with a student outside of class time, Melnik said he believed all lives matter and that police were not the problem.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He also questioned an emphasis on gender diversity and inclusion in the culture and media. 'In a discussion about the influence of the media through the use of language, Melnik said: 'The media has you believe there are more than two genders when using the words 'bisexual' and 'binary' … there are so many labels, who cares?' A student in the class was a member of the LGBTQ community and reported being 'very upset and impacted by this comment.' Melnik also questioned the reality of racism. He told the class it didn't exist and that 'a lot of what is described as racism today comes from cultural differences.' He talked about anti-Asian sentiment among railway workers in the early 19th century and said they were 'resented because they worked for less money and followed direction.' Late in 2021, Melnik was given a letter of discipline and suspended by the district for eight days without pay, which he served before the end of the year. He was also ordered to take a course on diversity and sensitivity training. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. An investigation was ordered by the teacher commissioner in 2023 that led to the signing of a consent resolution agreement, in which Melnik admitted to professional misconduct. He accepted the reprimand and was ordered to complete a course on creating positive learning environments by the start of the coming school year. The commissioner said the penalty was considered appropriate because Melnik shared views with students 'that did not align with the district's expectations that teachers refrain from engaging in conduct or comment which disparages or discriminates against others,' and that he 'did not foster a safe environment for his students, nor did he role-model respect for diversity.' jruttle@ Read More NHL Vancouver Canucks World Vancouver Canucks Sports
Vancouver Sun
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Coquitlam high school teacher reprimanded for discriminatory remarks
A Coquitlam high school teacher has been reprimanded for making racially insensitive and discriminatory statements during classroom discussions and chats with students. Evgueni Vladimirovitch Melnik was teaching a comparative civilizations class in May 2021 when he talked about the Epic of Gilgamesh and the concept of immortality. 'Melnik drew a line graph on the blackboard with 'Animals,' 'Humans,' 'Jesus' and 'God.' This was meant to illustrate the material and non-material nature of all human beings,' said a summary of the punishment on the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation website posted online Tuesday. 'In discussing humans, Melnik said that humans were complex thinkers. With respect to God, Melnik said 'everyone wants to reach this.' At some point during the lesson, Melnik referenced Black Lives Matter protesters and circled 'Animals' at least three times. In a conversation with a student outside of class time, Melnik said he believed all lives matter and that police were not the problem.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. He also questioned an emphasis on gender diversity and inclusion in the culture and media. 'In a discussion about the influence of the media through the use of language, Melnik said: 'the media has you believe there are more than two genders when using the words 'bisexual' and 'binary' … there are so many labels, who cares?' A student in the class was a member of the LGBTQ community and reported being 'very upset and impacted by this comment.' Melnik also questioned the reality of racism. He told the class it didn't exist and that 'a lot of what is described as racism today comes from cultural differences.' He talked about anti-Asian sentiment among railroad workers in the early 19th century and said they were 'resented because they worked for less money and followed direction.' Late in 2021, Melnik was given a letter of discipline and suspended by the district for eight days without pay, which he served before the end of the year. He was also ordered to take a course on diversity and sensitivity training. An investigation was ordered by the teacher commissioner in 2023 that led to the signing of a consent resolution agreement, in which Melnik admitted to professional misconduct. He accepted the reprimand and was ordered to complete a course on creating positive learning environments by the start of the coming school year. The commissioner said the penalty was considered appropriate because Melnik shared views with students 'that did not align with the district's expectations that teachers refrain from engaging in conduct or comment which disparages or discriminates against others,' and that he 'did not foster a safe environment for his students, nor did he role-model respect for diversity.' jruttle@
Russia Today
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine's Easter tantrum: guns, gold, and guilt – Kiev's loudest lobbyist demands salvation at the EU's expense (again)
Most people keep their Easter expectations pretty modest: some pastel candy, a chocolate bunny, maybe even one that doesn't taste like it was made during the Cold War. But Ukraine's former ambassador to Germany, Andrey Melnik, has decided that this is the perfect time to send the Easter Bunny – also known, apparently, as incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz – a list that reads less like holiday funsies and more like a NATO procurement form. 'I am a realist and have no illusions as to whether you will take up one or more of these ideas. Or even none,' Melnik wrote in an open letter published by the German newspaper Die Welt last week. 'But Easter is approaching. We are celebrating the resurrection of Christ, who overcame death on the cross. And we can hope for a miracle.' Alright, so what exactly is on this audacious list? A Ladurée Macaron or Fabergé Egg? A five-star Easter getaway to the Alps complete with Easter brunch? Not quite. Melnik apparently wants Merz to get cracking on getting Ukraine 150 Taurus missiles the day he's expected to take office as chancellor on May 6. We're talking the kind that can hit deep Russian targets, like the Crimean bridge that Merz keeps obsessing about openly. Melnik also wants 30% of Germany's current inventory of fighter jets. But why stop there? Spoiler alert: He doesn't. Look, how about I just grab you some marshmallow Peeps from the store? Classic yellow? Electric pink? Because that's the sort of thing that belongs in Easter baskets – not precision-guided missiles. This isn't even Melnik's first holiday-themed ask. Over the last Christmas period, he wanted €20 billion a year from Germany. Not quite the usual stocking stuffers of socks, aftershave, or underwear. 'The thing is that this should not be perceived as 'Christmas charity', as some call it. We are talking about Germany's investments in its own security,' Melnik said to Germany's N-TV at the time. In Melnik's new Easter plea, he also asked for 30% of the entirety of Germany's weapons inventory. And all this is in addition to his proposal that a quarter of that 2% GDP that NATO countries are supposed to spend on defense – so we're talking 0.5% of German GDP – should just be straight-up earmarked for Ukraine. He adds that Merz should also lobby the entire EU to do the same. Also? Confiscate €200 billion in frozen Russian state assets and reroute it to Ukraine. As in: 'Hey Merz, could you just go full Ocean's Eleven real quick and fund our rebuild?' Melnik also wants security guarantees, which, in plain terms, means that Germany would have to vow to step in and take a punch to the face itself from Russia if Ukraine does something face-punch-worthy. And even Melnik acknowledges right in his letter that he, personally, is highly punchable. 'I know that many in the SPD – perhaps even in your own party – will once again be outraged: 'How dare you!' 'Not that cheeky Melnyk again, who puts his two cents in everywhere.' 'We don't need his advice, you pain in the ass.' I can understand these reactions on a human level,' he said. But it's all worth it, he says, because Russian President Vladimir Putin would sit up and take notice if Merz did what Melnik suggested. 'This mega-commitment of €550 billion for Ukrainian defense over the next four years would be a massive warning signal to Putin that you, Mr. Merz, and our allies are serious about aiding Ukraine. That will impress Putin.' No doubt Putin could only marvel at Kiev's consistent treatment of the EU as a 24/7 weapons vending machine, all while insisting that it's doing the EU itself a big favor. Which is exactly what Melnik keeps saying himself. 'Not only the future of Germany depends on your success as chancellor, but also the fate of Ukraine and all of Europe,' he says. Apparently, if Merz doesn't risk World War III, he's letting down the whole continent. And this is Melnik on his best behavior. When diplomacy doesn't deliver, he shifts gears fast. Like three years ago, after Ukraine iced out German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for being too chummy with Moscow, prompting Chancellor Olaf Scholz to cancel his own visit to Kiev. That led to this classic from Melnik: 'To play an offended liverwurst doesn't sound very statesmanlike. We're talking about the most brutal war of extermination since the Nazi attack on Ukraine, it is no preschool.' Nothing says diplomatic savvy like slandering processed meat by comparing it to Scholz. Or reminding Germans of the Nazis as a means of seduction. Melnik's like, 'Hey man, help us out here against Russia. But it still isn't as bad as that time when you guys genocided us.' What a charmer. And just when you might have thought that was rock-bottom, Melnik brings out the jackhammer. He once responded to Elon Musk's Ukraine peace plan workshopping efforts on social media with a rather unique proposition, rarely observed in the diplomatic world. 'F*ck off is my very diplomatic reply to you,' Melnik wrote on Musk's own X platform. Turns out his style of diplomacy almost worked. Musk did, in fact, consider effing off, and taking Ukraine's free Starlink satellite access with him. Now, fresh off this highlight reel of diplomatic brawls masquerading as strategy, Melnik is poised to strut into the United Nations as Ukraine's new envoy. Buckle up, world, and get ready for wishlists, lectures, and the occasional middle finger diplomatic salute. Kiev might still be waiting on those Taurus missiles, but one thing's for sure. Melnik's weaponized mouth is always locked and loaded to friendly-fire on allies. And if the Easter Bunny doesn't deliver the loot, guess there's always another holiday right around the corner. Maybe try Oktoberfest.
Russia Today
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian envoy asks for 30% of Germany's military equipment
Germany should donate 30% of its available armored vehicles and military aircraft to Kiev, according to Andrey Melnik, Ukraine's envoy to the UN. His appeal comes as EU nations seek ways to boost support amid uncertainty over whether US President Donald Trump would continue backing Ukraine. Melnik, who served as ambassador to Berlin from 2015 to 2022, addressed his plea in an open letter to Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz, published in Welt am Sonntag on Saturday. 'It is in your hands, as peacemakers, to stop this damn war by the end of 2025,' he wrote. The diplomat outlined a series of steps he believes Merz must take to 'cut the Gordian knot and force [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to make peace.'According to Melnik, Germany should donate 30% of its Bundeswehr stock of armored vehicles and aircraft to Kiev, including around 45 Eurofighter Typhoon and 30 Tornado fighter jets, 100 Leopard 2 main battle tanks, and 115 Puma and 130 Marder infantry fighting vehicles. He also called on Berlin to defy 'the expected resistance' from the Social Democrats (SPD) and send 150 Taurus cruise missiles. The SPD has opposed the missile deliveries, citing concerns about further escalation with Russia. The Social Democrats and Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) are currently engaged in coalition talks. Melnik urged Germany to commit 0.5% of its GDP – or €21.5 billion ($24.5 billion) annually – toward military aid to Ukraine through 2029. 'These funds should be invested in the production of state-of-the-art weapons in both Germany and Ukraine,' he wrote. He also called for the 0.5% benchmark to be adopted across the EU as a 'huge warning signal' to Russia. Merz recently expressed openness to delivering Taurus missiles, prompting criticism from SPD leader Matthias Miersch and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechayev warned that such shipments would 'bring no changes to the battlefield' but would further implicate Germany in the conflict.
